Nur al-Hilmi, Burhanuddin bin Muhammad

Nur al-Hilmi, Burhanuddin bin Muhammad

(born 1911, Kota Bharu, Malaya—died Oct. 25, 1969, Taiping, Malaysia) Malay nationalist leader. After serving the administration of the Japanese occupation during the war, Nur al-Hilmi became a prominent left-wing leader who worked for an independent and multiracial Malaysia. In 1956 he became president of the Pan-Malayan Islamic Party, which became the principal opposition party in Malaysian politics. Detained in 1965 for allegedly pro-Indonesian activities, he was released in 1966; he remained nominal president of the party until his death.