PARTI Sosialis Malaysia’s candidate for the Semenyih by-election Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul wants to emulate the leadership skills of his namesake and idol, the late Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

The 25-year-old local boy was named as the party’s candidate last night. He runs his own traditional massage centre in Semenyih and has strong roots in PAS.

His father, Haji Abdul bin Abdul Karim was a former PAS strongman in Selangor, and was the party’s campaign manager in Selangor in the 1995 general election.

Nik Aziz, who was named after the PAS Tok Guru said he idolised the late PAS spiritual leader.

“Yes, I see him as an idol and a role model,” he said.

Nik Aziz, who is the youngest sibling out of four children, went to school at SMK Engku Husain in Semenyih, but has yet to complete his Islamic Studies diploma at the Sultan Ismail Petra International Islamic College.

At the party level, he has served as a committee member of PSM’s youth wing. He is also the acting youth secretary for the youth wing.

Being an activist, he had also had brushes with the authorities. He was arrested by the police for protesting the demolition of a cattle breeding farm in Klang.

Apart from being an activist and having his own business, Nik Aziz was also a teaching assistant at several pre-schools.

Nik Aziz is most likely the youngest candidate running in the Semenyih by-election.

Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Harapan will be naming their respective candidates later today.

Nomination is on Saturday while polling is on March 2.

In the 14th general election, Bersatu’s Bakhtiar Mohd Nor won the state seat in a four-cornered fight which included Umno, PAS and PSM.

This by-election is necessitated by the sudden death of Bakhtiar. – February 14, 2019.