Nik Nazmi’s father dies at 96

Nik Ahmad Nik Hassan, the father of former minister Nik Nazmi, has died at the age of 96.

In a Facebook post, Bersama leader Wong Chen conveyed his condolences to Nik Nazmi and his party colleague’s extended family.

“May they be given the strength needed to endure this loss,” he said.

Born in 1930 in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Nik Ahmad was a civil servant who served as secretary-general of the energy, telecommunications and posts ministry in 1978, when it was newly established with Hussein Onn as prime minister.

A graduate of University of Malaya in Singapore (now the National University of Singapore), Nik Ahmad first entered the civil service in Negeri Sembilan before transferring to his hometown of Kota Bharu.

Nik Nazmi previously said his father was consulted by Abdul Razak Hussein when he was deputy prime minister on how Umno could compete with PAS in Kelantan.

He said Nik Ahmad advised Razak that Umno should elevate a leader who was close to local folk, perhaps even a member of the Kelantan royal family.

“Umno then selected Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, a member of royalty and a relative to Nik Ahmad, to be its leader in the 1970s,” Nik Nazmi said in a Facebook post in 2017.

The former Setiawangsa MP said his father was often invited to Razak’s house for events, even after he was appointed as the country’s second prime minister.

Nik Ahmad also worked with Razak’s son, Najib, who was deputy energy, telecommunications and posts minister.

Nik Nazmi has penned a book about his father titled “Nik Ahmad Nik Hassan Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam”.