KOTA BARU: "Dia bakal mewarisi (He's the heir)...InsyaAllah," whispered the girl to her friend.
Both girls were in their teens and dressed in a uniform for a religious high school – a popular choice for many students in Kelantan.
"Kita dok buleh gi sana (we can't go there)...Sumo laki (all men)," she said, staring almost in awe at Pasir Mas MP Nik Mohamad Abduh, the fifth son of PAS spiritual advisor Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
Nik Abduh was offering the final prayers by his father's grave at the Pulau Melaka Muslim burial site here, down the road from the former Kelantan mentri besar's house.
“I thank everybody for the support through this difficult time. To Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and his Cabinet members who came to pay their last respects.
“Syukur Alhamdulillah everything has gone well,” he said.
Last night, Nik Abduh confirmed through Facebook that his father had died at 9:40 pm after months of battling prostate cancer.
"The angels came to escort my father's soul back to his Creator at 9:40 pm (1340 GMT) on Friday. May my father be happy alongside Allah SWT," said Nik Abduh.
Since last night, thousands of supporters had gathered at the family home here and the number continued to grow as funeral rites and special prayer for the departed was conducted at the mosque next door, ‘Masjid Tok Guru’.
The special prayer was led by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and also joined by Najib.
“Kita panggil dia Tok Guru jah (We just call him Tok Guru),” another man was overheard saying, referring to the influx of visitors from outside Kelantan who referred to Nik Aziz using his full official title.
Apart from teaching religious classes and delivering sermons, Nik Aziz also led the daily morning dawn prayers at his mosque.
Born in Kelantan in 1931, Nik Aziz received his early education from his father who was a religious teacher.
He studied at Darul Uloom Deoband University in India before taking up Quranic studies in Pakistan. He also obtained a degree in Arabic studies as well as a masters of arts in Islamic law from Al-Azhar University in Egypt.
Nik Aziz was first elected to Parliament in 1967 and led PAS in taking over the Kelantan state government in 1990, becoming the state’s menteri besar, a position he held for 23 years before retiring in 2013.
The 84-year-old cleric will be most remembered for his humble nature and modest lifestyle, an image likely to remain well after his passing.
"Sempoi je kubur dia," remarked a policeman who stood watch over the crowd, using a colloquial Malay term to describe the grave which was only marked by two plants.
The inscribed tombstones will only be placed later.
Even after he stepped down as menteri besar due to his poor health, Nik Aziz still wielded considerable influence in PAS and Pakatan Rakyat, a fact known to just about everyone.
His influence was such that he was reputed to be the driving force that fought for PAS to remain within Pakatan Rakyat, despite the Islamist party's conservative faction being seemingly against the idea.
While many have speculated that Nik Aziz’s passing would herald the end of Pakatan, the opposite might actually be true.
His death may have actually strengthened it as even staunch ulama supporters have said they will respect his last wish for PAS to remain within Pakatan.
His son, however, has recently hit out at not only other Pakatan leaders, but also his own colleagues who are perceived to be more progressive in their views.
Met after the funeral, Kak Ema (as she introduced herself) said “that it could be true” that Nik Abduh will be following in his late father's footsteps.
“Among his siblings, he stands out in terms of his religious credentials and leadership skills,” she said, adding that her whole family had driven from Kuala Lumpur to pay their final respects.
It is quite apparent that there are high hopes for Nik Abduh to emulate his father, not only as a cleric but a politician and leader for all.
To quote Nik Aziz's former press secretary: “The death of a cleric is like the loss of a star in the sky. The world will be darker as more of them die.”
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