PKR founding member Syed Husin Ali died this morning at the age of 87.

He was reported to be in critical condition on June 26.

News of his death was shared by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil on Facebook.

“I have just received the sad news that Dr Syed Husin Ali, deputy chairman of the Keadilan Advisory Council, died early this morning,” Fahmi said.

He said that he had visited Syed Husin on Thursday at Selayang Hospital.

“Syed Husin contributed a lot to the party and rakyat and published a lot of books, including ‘Two Faces: Detention Without Trial’, which chronicles his detention under the Internal Security Act, as well as ‘Memoirs of a Political Struggle’. He was deeply involved in various elections and had a long history in the nation’s politics.

“Among other roles, the late Dr Syed served as a senator of the Dewan Negara, deputy president of Keadilan, president of Parti Rakyat Malaysia, and professor at Universiti Malaya.

“Dr Syed was a highly respected figure within the party, often consulted by the leadership. He was patient, gentle, disciplined, and provided a lot of advice, including to me personally,” said Fahmi. 

Syed Husin is survived by a son, two daughters, and grandchildren.

He was best known as the leader of Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia, which was later renamed Parti Rakyat Malaysia after the party dropped its socialist tag.

Syed Husin was appointed PKR deputy president following the merger of Parti Rakyat Malaysia, of which he was president, and Parti Keadilan Nasional in 2003.

He was detained under the Internal Security Act for six years while he was an associate professor at Universiti Malaya in 1974. – June 29, 2024.