Abdul Hadi Awang

Abdul Hadi bin Awang (Jawi: عبدالهادي بن اواڠ; born 20 October 1947) is a Malaysian politician and religious teacher who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Marang since October 1990, 7th President of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), an Islamist political party and a component party of Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, since July 2002.

Hadi was born on 20 October 1947, in Kampung Rusila, Marang, Terengganu.

He is the fifth child of nine siblings; four of them are deceased.

His father's name was Haji Awang Mohamad bin Abd Rahman while his mother was Hajjah Aminah Yusuf.

They are also deceased.

His father who was Tok Guru in Kampung Rusila was also a political activist of Hizbul Muslimin Terengganu.

Similarly, his bonds were the place of reference and the focus of society, especially in religious matters.

Hizbul Muslimin was banned by the colonists, at the will of the ruling party.

A few years after the ban, Haji Awang Mohammad emerged as one of the earliest to introduce the struggle of the Malay Se-Malaya (PAS) Society in Terengganu.

Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang was given an early education by his father beginning in 1955.

Later, he was educated formally at the Rusila National School before continuing his secondary education at Marang Religious School.

He then pursued Sanawi's degree at the Sultan Zainal Abidin Religious Secondary School, Kuala Terengganu.

In addition, he studied religion, Arabic and politics with his father.

He furthered his studies at the Islamic University of Madinah for a Shariah bachelor's degree funding by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the support of the then-vice president of the Islamic University of Madinah Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah.

Hadi has been active in politics since 1964 when he was studying in high school.

He has been entrusted as a branch secretary in the PAS village Rusila, Marang.

Hadi received his education in neighbourhood schools before furthering his studies at the Islamic University of Madinah between 1969 and 1973, and later at Al-Azhar University.

After about four years in the Arabian Peninsula (1969–1973), he earned his first degree in Islamic Shariah.

He furthered his master's degree at Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt, in Siyasah Syar'iyyah (Political Science) from 1974 to 1976.

Shortly after finishing his studies and returning to his homeland, in 1976, his father died.

Hadi then decided to continue his father's duty of being a khatib and delivering khutbah (a sermon) every Friday morning.

In 1976, he was appointed Terengganu PAS youth chief and the Central PAS Youth Council Exco.

Upon his return to Malaysia, he joined Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) in 1977, where he quickly became its Terengganu state chief.

He served as an officer for the Terengganu Islamic Foundation from 1977 to 1978, and at the same time as Terengganu Chief of Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM).

In 1977, he was elected to the Central PAS Working Committee.

A year later, Hadi joined the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) and contested a parliamentary seat in the 1978 general election.

He rose quickly through the ranks.

In 1978, he began teaching at the Maahad Al-Ikhwan (Institut Berakan), a private school set up by a few young PAS youths in Mengadang Akar, Kuala Terengganu.

In 1978, he was appointed acting vice president of the Central Center and later confirmed to the post in 1980.

Since the 1980s he has routinely made incendiary remarks against non-Muslim minorities as well as Malay Muslims who do not subscribe to his ultraconservative religious views.

Consequently, he has often been the target of investigation by the Malaysian police.

In 1982, when ABIM's president, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim left the organization and joined the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Abdul Hadi joined PAS with Ustaz Fadzil Noor and Datuk Nakhaie Ahmad.

Along with these three, some of the ABIM leaders who joined PAS included: Tuan Haji Mohamad Sabu, Ustaz Abdul Ghani Shamsuddin, Datuk Paduka Husam Musa, Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, Ustaz Abu Bakar Chik, Ustaz Muhammad Mustafa and Datuk Mohammad Daud Iraqi.

In 1983, he and Datuk Nakhaei Ahmad were once again elected as PAS vice presidents.

He became PAS deputy president in 1989 when Fadzil Noor was elected to the party presidency.

In 1989, he was elected PAS deputy president after Dato' Fadzil Noor was elected president of PAS.

He served as Leader of the Opposition from July 2002 to March 2004, Menteri Besar of Terengganu from December 1999 to March 2004 and Member of the Terengganu State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Ru Rendang from 1986 until 2018.

At the international level, he formerly served as vice-president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.

He remained deputy president until 2002, when Fadzil died of a heart attack, resulting in Hadi succeeding him as PAS President.

Hadi Awang is a highly controversial politician in Malaysia.