Fadzil is best known for steering PAS from a largely rural-based party to mainstream politics, forming an alliance with DAP and other parties in the wake of the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim which sparked the reformasi movement in 1998.

Under his leadership, PAS saw a boost in its membership, as droves of Umno members aligned to Anwar’s camp left the party.

Fadzil was the third PAS leader to be appointed the parliamentary opposition leader following major electoral gains by his party in the 1999 polls.

He died on June 23, 2002, after undergoing heart bypass surgery at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM). He was succeeded by Abdul Hadi Awang, then the Terengganu menteri besar.

Accompanying Mahathir today was Faiz Fadzil, who is deputy head of Amanah Youth.

“I believe it is an honour to my father. When my father was in a coma in HUKM in 2002, Tun came to visit two days before he announced he was resigning as prime minister,” Faiz told reporters.

“This is something good for all Malaysians. Tun is showing a good example to all Malaysians that politics is not to make life difficult, but a democratic platform for the people to make the right choice on who will lead the country,” he said.

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