Nik Aziz Journalist Zakiah Koya S Book Deciphers The Iconic Leader

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Veteran journalist Zakiah Koya’s book titled “Nik Aziz: The Giant Of A Little Man” is a riveting compilation of interviews conducted by her with the late iconic PAS spiritual leader and former Kelantan menteri besar, Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
These interviews were conducted over the last two decades.
In an interview with Malaysiakini, Zakiah said: “The first interview was in 1996, my first year of reporting at The Sun.
“My then-editor Murali Menon, assigned me to interview Nik Aziz as he was much in the news with PAS being the strongest opposition party, but no English paper was giving this menteri besar much space in the media.
“I have probably done more than seven exclusive interviews but a couple of them were on print publication, which I could not find on the internet anymore and I failed to keep some copies.”
Zakiah has been a journalist for 27 years and had worked with many media outlets, on various platforms.
The interviews with Nik Aziz were conducted by different media companies throughout her career such as The Sun, New Straits Times, Malaysiakini, Harakah, TV PAS, The Heat Online and the now defunct fz.com, under The Edge group.
On what made her come up with the book, Zakiah said the idea came to her in 2018.
“I realised that many young reporters of today do not know the nation’s political history. So, I wanted to publish it as a form of reference for the media as Nik Aziz is still being talked about despite his passing in 2015.
“When PAS and Umno joined hands in Muafakat Nasional, it reminded me of many things he said about Umno and how some of the stuff he said about politics still held water.
“Also, in 2022, PAS won the biggest number of seats in the 15th general election,” said Zakiah.
However, it took time for her to put everything into a book as she needed to get permission from the various media organisations she once worked with.
Zakiah thanked her father, Koya Kutty, for pushing her to do this, as well as the graphic designer who worked on the layout, Moideen Jalaludin.
‘Boogeymen’ parties
She said that without them, the book would not have happened.
Before social media, the then-opposition, namely PAS and DAP, were portrayed as the boogeymen of Malaysian politics by the mainstream media.
Recalling those days, Zakiah said that in the mid-1990s, the mass media such as New Straits Times and Utusan Malaysia were controlled by Umno.
“However, when The Sun came into the picture, it was a breath of fresh air as it touched on issues which the mass media then usually avoided.
“Mind you, at that time, The Sun was a national newspaper. Nik Aziz’s office was very helpful in arranging the interview - perhaps because I was the first one from an English paper to ask then.
“Also, The Sun at that time did not carry the baggage of being backed by a political party,” reminisced Zakiah.
She also credits her past bosses for these insightful interviews that offered readers a real look into Nik Aziz’s mind and his political views.
The late Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat (left) with Lim Kit Siang“My bosses in my earlier days - my mentors - Murali of The Sun and the late Zainon Ahmad (Pak Non as he was known) who was with NST and The Sun later - were very supportive and pushed me to get these interviews.
“They were open-minded editors who believed that nothing should stop a reporter - never mind a rookie - from getting a good story.
“Murali always pushed us to do strong features on the Sunday Desk then - he was also not one to take a sloppily written article and even dumped my articles in the trash can.
“Zainon was the one who taught me to do political stories, ask questions which the masses wanted to know (answers to), write them and tell the story as you would do to your good friends.
“He taught me that it doesn’t matter how far you have to walk, but if there is an opening for a story, by all means, go for it.
“In my later years, the other editors knew that I was trusted by PAS and their leaders and never stopped me from doing interviews with them,” said Zakiah.
Of course, her career progression was not without hiccups as she was often labelled for writing about politics.
“I have been called the ‘macai’ (supporter) of everyone - for Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar Ibrahim, Najib Abdul Razak, Azmin Ali, Ismail Sabri Yaakob to Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“I guess when we are writing about politics and not taking sides, we will be labelled.
“The main thing is that I hope my writings have never compromised my credibility. I can’t please everyone.
“I write for the masses and politicians know very well that they will get credit only where it is due. They can call me names but I will continue to ask the right questions,” Zakiah stressed.
So what was the real Nik Aziz like as a person? To this question, Zakiah replied: “To me, what amazed me was that he was someone you would miss in a crowd. Yet, his aura stands out when he speaks.
“I am not a PAS member, but little was written about him and everyone seems to demonise that person. There was intrigue there which interested me as a political journalist. Who is this ‘little mullah’ whom Umno was so afraid of?
“Granted, the media have many times highlighted some stuff which was seen as strange - such as pretty girls should not go out to work at night and calling Umno infidels.
“But I decided to keep an open mind and when I went down to the grounds in Kelantan and attended some of his ceramahs.
“Nik Aziz was a cleric and a mullah (to borrow the Western term) but he was truly a politician from all angles. Kelantan is a platform where being a cleric and politician is a combination of what the people wanted in a leader, and he succeeded.
“He was always very polite and I never felt uncomfortable with him - his grey eyes looked into your eyes when he speaks to you even though I was a woman, and he did not sit a mile away or behind a curtain.
“Nik Aziz was very gentle - the way he moved and the way he spoke - even when he was expressing anger, his voice was controlled and not shouting.
“I found that odd, and politicians should learn from him. People were just in awe of him, so they revere him and Nik Aziz knows that, but he still walks around with his head down,” recalled Zakiah.
In one of her articles, Nik Aziz was quoted as saying: “I say to PAS members, question your leaders. Blind following is not allowed in Islam.”
When asked what she thought Nik Aziz would think of PAS now, Zakiah replied that she was unsure.
“I think he might be very excited to know that PAS is currently the party with the most number of MPs in Parliament and has MBs in four states - Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis.
“I also think he might be proud of (Abdul) Hadi (Awang) as the PAS president had refused to join the unity government because he said he did not want to join hands with those involved in corruption.
“Anti-corruption was something Nik Aziz had stressed all along - as you can see from his lifestyle.”
A pragmatic leader
Nik Aziz was also quoted as saying: “We should always be open to something new. Just because you have always eaten nasi ikan kering (rice with salted fish), and if someone offers you briyani, taste it before you push the plate away.”
“During his time leading PAS, Niz Aziz thought outside of the box - he worked with PKR and DAP at one point during the early reformasi days, as he knew PAS needed to paint itself as being more than just an east coast-based party for Islamists.
“He and the late Karpal Singh always traded barbs but even then, Nik Aziz was open to working with DAP despite knowing very well they had to agree to disagree.
“His progressiveness was not in clothes or material matters, but the way he brought PAS from being a party supported by Islamists on the east coast to become a national party – it’s quite an achievement,” said Zakiah.
‘Keep an open mind’
Touching on her book, Zakiah urged readers to keep an open mind when reading it.
“Malaysians, in general, are not very open-minded when it comes to reading about politicians - we tend to put them in a box.
“This is not about a PAS leader - but a leader who had a following during his lifetime, kept his morals and still has a following - years after his death.
“Also, I hope politicians read the interviews and understand that it takes more than just plain talk to become a leader. Morals are values that make who you are. Humility is what raises you.
“As to reporters, I hope they see how interviews with local politicians need not be confined to questions which editors tell you to ask.
“Don’t be afraid to prod and interrogate - as even the most difficult question - when asked politely – will lead to an answer,” said Zakiah.
“Nik Aziz: The Giant Of A Little Man” can be purchased online. - Mkini

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