KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 — Parti Amanah Negara member and 14th general election candidate Nik Omar Nik Abdul Aziz has been appointed the new president of the missionary group Islamic Dakwah Foundation of Malaysia (Yadim), effective December 1.
The appointment was announced by minister in charge of religious affairs Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa yesterday, in his capacity as Amanah vice-president during the party's second annual convention in Perak.
“The five new Yadim leaders will play a pivotal role in ensuring the agency under the Malaysian Islamic Development Department and the Prime Minister's Office will be more effective,” he said.
Nik Omar's deputy is Zolkarnain Abidin, with three new Board of Directors members including Amanah deputy general adviser Datuk Wira Abdul Ghani Shamsuddin, Muslim Youth Movement president Mohd Raimi Abdul Rahim, and academic Mohd Abdul Razak.
Mujahid spoke of the five new leaders after Alor Setar delegate Adnan Saad raised the issue of Zolkarnain's position and role of Amanah's Shariah Affairs director who was yet to be given a position in any religious government agency.
Nik Omar, the second son of the late PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, succeeded Yusri Mohamad, who served from October 2015 to December 1.
Umno Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki was once Yadim president, before leaving the post to become a senator and subsequently the deputy minister in charge of religious affairs.
Asyraf and a Yadim director, Mahadi Awang, had courted controversy in 2017 for their attack on atheists, with the latter accusing the minority group of being Freemasons who wish for freedom, but would end up forsaking laws.
Nik Omar had proved popular with Pakatan Harapan supporters prior to the 14th general election, for his gentler and moderate approach towards Islam.
He had contested his late father’s state seat of Chempaka under the PKR banner, but lost badly to both PAS and Umno candidates.
