Abdul Hadi Awang

Abdul Hadi bin Awang (Jawi: عبدالهادي بن اواڠ‎; born 20 October 1947) is a Malaysian politician and religious teacher serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Marang from 1990 to 2004 and again since 2008. A president of Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), he served as the 11th Menteri Besar of Terengganu from 1999 to 2004. Hadi previously was the 8th opposition leader from 2002 to 2004 and was formerly a vice-president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.

Born in Terengganu. Hadi received his education in neighbourhood schools before furthering his studies at the Islamic University of Madinah between 1969 and 1973, and later at Al-Azhar University. Upon his return to Malaysia, he joined Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia in 1977, where he quickly became its Terengganu state chief. A year later, Hadi joined PAS and contested the Marang state constituency in the 1978 general election. He rose quickly through the ranks. He became the deputy president of PAS in 1989 when Fadzil Noor was elected to the party presidency. He remained as the deputy until 2002, when Fadzil died of a heart attack, resulting in Hadi succeeding him as the president of PAS and has been the longest-serving president in the party's history.

Hadi is a highly controversial politician in the country. Since the 1980s, he has routinely made incendiary remarks against non-Muslim minorities as well as local Muslims who do not subscribe to his ultraconservative religious views. Consequently, he has often been the target of investigation by the Royal Malaysia Police.

Hadi was born on 20 October 1947, in Kampung Rusila, Marang, Terengganu. He is the fifth child of nine siblings; four of them are already deceased.

His father was Haji Awang Mohamad bin Abd Rahman while his mother was Hajjah Aminah binti Yusuf. They are also deceased. His father who was Tok Guru in Kampung Rusila was also a political activist of Hizbul Muslimin Terengganu. Similarly, his bonds were the place of reference and the focus of society, especially in religious matters. Hizbul Muslimin was banned by the colonists, at the will of the ruling party. A few years after the ban, Haji Awang Mohammad emerged as one of the earliest to introduce the struggle of the Malay Se-Malaya (PAS) Society in Terengganu.

Hadi was given an early education by his father beginning in 1955. Later, he was educated formally at the Rusila National School before continuing his secondary education at Marang Religious School. He then pursued Sanawi's degree at the Sultan Zainal Abidin Religious Secondary School, Kuala Terengganu. In addition, he studied religion, Arabic and politics with his father.

He furthered his studies at the Islamic University of Madinah for a Shariah bachelor's degree funding by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the support of the then-vice president of the Islamic University of Madinah Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz.

After about four years in the Arabian Peninsula from 1969 to 1973, he earned his first degree in Islamic Shariah. He furthered his master's degree at Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt, in political science (Siyasah Syar'iyyah) from 1974 to 1976.