Yusof Rawa
Encyclopedia
Yusof Rawa was a Malaysian politician. He was a member of the Parliament of Malaysia and from 1983 to 1989 served as President of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). His legal name was Yusof Abdullah.
Mahathir Mohamad from the seat of Kota Setar Selatan in the 1969 election
. Yusof was appointed as a Deputy Minister while PAS was a member of the governing Barisan Nasional
coalition in the 1970s, and also served as Malaysia's Ambassador to Afghanistan
, Turkey
and Iran
.
faction of the party as his predecessor, Asri Muda
, was considered not an alim. Asri's leadership was notable for the shifting of PAS's outlook towards Malay nationalism. Both joining the Barisan Nasional
coalition and moving away from religious-based policy platforms caused the party to lose support.
Yusof subsequently attempted to increase the influence of the ulama within PAS, surrounding himself with ulama leaders such as Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Abdul Hadi Awang
. The direction of his leadership of the party was seen as firmly Islamist: under his presidency, the party adopted an Islamic State as official policy, and proposed to limit the powers of Parliament to be subject to the oversight of an "Ulama Assembly". At the same time, he steered the party away from Malay nationalism and introduced significant changes to the party's internal structure. One change was to introduce the position of "Spiritual Leader", of which he was the first occupant. His leadership style has been described as "fiery and outspoken". He resigned in 1989 citing health reasons, and was replaced by his deputy Fadzil Noor
.
on 28 April 2000. His son, Mujahid Yusof Rawa
, became a Member of Parliament in 2008.
Early career
Yusof joined PAS in 1951, and notably unseated future Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Malaysia
The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...
Mahathir Mohamad from the seat of Kota Setar Selatan in the 1969 election
Malaysian general election, 1969
General elections were held in Malaysia on 10 May 1969, although voting was postponed until between 21 and 27 June in Sabah and Sarawak. It resulted in the return to power, with a reduced majority, of the ruling Alliance Party, comprising the United Malays National Organization , the Malayan...
. Yusof was appointed as a Deputy Minister while PAS was a member of the governing Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
coalition in the 1970s, and also served as Malaysia's Ambassador to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
President of PAS
Yusof became the President of PAS in 1983, winning the post uncontested after a leadership crisis in the party. His election was seen as a victory for the ulamaUlama
-In Islam:* Ulema, also transliterated "ulama", a community of legal scholars of Islam and its laws . See:**Nahdlatul Ulama **Darul-uloom Nadwatul Ulama **Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal**Jamiat ul-Ulama -Other:...
faction of the party as his predecessor, Asri Muda
Asri Muda
Datuk Mohamad Asri Muda was a Malaysian politician who served as the President of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party from 1969 to 1982, and as the Menteri Besar of Kelantan.-Early and personal life:...
, was considered not an alim. Asri's leadership was notable for the shifting of PAS's outlook towards Malay nationalism. Both joining the Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
coalition and moving away from religious-based policy platforms caused the party to lose support.
Yusof subsequently attempted to increase the influence of the ulama within PAS, surrounding himself with ulama leaders such as Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Abdul Hadi Awang
Abdul Hadi Awang
Dato' Seri Haji Abdul Hadi bin Awang is the current President of the Parti Islam SeMalaysia, an Islamist political party in Malaysia...
. The direction of his leadership of the party was seen as firmly Islamist: under his presidency, the party adopted an Islamic State as official policy, and proposed to limit the powers of Parliament to be subject to the oversight of an "Ulama Assembly". At the same time, he steered the party away from Malay nationalism and introduced significant changes to the party's internal structure. One change was to introduce the position of "Spiritual Leader", of which he was the first occupant. His leadership style has been described as "fiery and outspoken". He resigned in 1989 citing health reasons, and was replaced by his deputy Fadzil Noor
Fadzil Noor
Dato' Ustaz Hajji Fadzil bin Muhammad Noor was a Malaysian politician and religious teacher. He was the president of Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party , and was the parliamentary opposition leader....
.
Personal life
Yusof died in PenangPenang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
on 28 April 2000. His son, Mujahid Yusof Rawa
Mujahid Yusof Rawa
Mujahid Yusof Rawa is a Malaysian politician and is the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Parit Buntar constituency in Perak. He is a member of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party in the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition....
, became a Member of Parliament in 2008.