FOUNDER and first president of the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim), Prof Dr Razali Nawawi, died at the An-Nur Specialist Hospital at 6.45am today. He was 83.

Abim, in a post on Facebook, confirmed the passing of Razali, who was also a close friend of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

“May Allah have mercy on the deceased,” the post read.

According to the post, the funeral prayers will be held at Masjid Al-Umum in Section 1, Bandar Baru Bangi, after the Zohor prayers.

Abim president Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz said Razali died of prostate cancer, which he had been battling for a long time.

Last Saturday, Anwar visited Razali at his home in Bangi.

Razali became the first Abim president in 1972 and introduced the “usrah” system. Anwar took over as the second Abim president in 1974.

Born in Kampung Hutan Pasir, Kelantan, Razali obtained his first degree from Al-Azhar University, Egypt, in 1966.

In 1971, he completed his master’s degree in Comparative Religion at the University of Birmingham, the United Kingdom, and obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the International Islamic University Malaysia in 1992.

Razali was a professor at IIUM’s Faculty of Law from September 1, 1983 to December 31, 2008 and the dean of the faculty, now known as the Ahmad Ibrahim Kuliyyah of Laws, from 1983 until 1990. – Bernama, May 18, 2023.