KUALA LUMPUR – The late Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, a long-time PAS spiritual adviser, and DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang were awarded the Darjah Kebesaran Panglima Setia Mahkota which carries the title “Tan Sri” by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today.
The event was held during the investiture ceremony of federal territories awards, medals, and honours in conjunction with the king’s official birthday celebration.
Accompanying the Agong during the ceremony at Istana Negara here was Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
Nik Aziz, who was Kelantan menteri besar from 1990 to 2013 and died in February 2015 at the age of 84, was conferred the award posthumously. The award was received by his wife, Puan Sri Sabariah Ishak.
Nik Aziz had served as PAS spiritual leader from 1991 till his death. He was an elected lawmaker, either in the Kelantan assembly or in Parliament, since 1967, after he joined PAS earlier that year.
He won the Kelantan Hilir parliamentary by-election in 1967 and went on to maintain the seat – later renamed Pengkalan Chepa – until 1986.
He was then assemblyman for Semut Api from 1986 to 1995 and for Chempaka from 1995 till his death.
Both Nik Aziz and Lim had entered politics at about the same time in the 1960s.
The two political stalwarts had worked together, especially after the 2008 general election when PAS and DAP joined PKR to form the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.
Lim was present at the palace today to receive the award.
Longest-serving office bearer
Lim’s political career with the party was propelled in 1966 when he was elected as its national organising secretary, a position he served in for three years before being promoted to secretary-general in 1969.
The three-time opposition leader had served in the position for almost three decades in non-consecutive terms, making him the longest-serving office bearer in the nation.
Lim was initiated into legislative politics when he won the race for the Bandar Melaka parliamentary seat in the general election of May 10, 1969 at the age of 28.
He went on to represent various other federal constituencies in five states, namely Kota Melaka (1974-1978; 1982-1986), Petaling (1978-1982), Tanjong (1986-1999), Ipoh Timor (2004-2013), and Gelang Patah (2013-2018) which was renamed Iskandar Puteri and successfully defended by him in 2018.
Besides that, Lim also served as an assemblyman in Melaka and Penang. He was the state representative for Kubu in Melaka from 1974 to 1982 and later in the Penang constituencies of Kg Kolam (1986-1990) and Padang Kota (1990-1995).
He also served much time as a political prisoner, having been detained without trial as well as convicted under controversial circumstances.
In 1969, Lim was detained under the Internal Security Act for 18 months, and 10 years later in 1979, he was convicted of five charges under the Official Secrets Act after exposing legitimate arms deals between the government and a Swiss company.
Along with DAP’s late Datuk Seri Karpal Singh and numerous other opposition politicians as well as academics and rights activists, he was detained during the notorious Operation Lalang sweep under then-prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1987. He spent 17 months under incarceration during this period.
In March last year he had announced his retirement from active politics and from any DAP leadership roles after being an active and vocal member for 56 years.
He later declined the role of party mentor, saying that his retirement would exclude him from taking up such positions. – The Vibes, June 5, 2023
