PERAK MB SWEARING-IN: Nizar is new, professional face of Pas - NST

By : Shahrul Hafeez

IPOH, Mon:

Newly-appointed Perak Mentri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin is representative of the new, more professional, face of PAS from the days of perceived Islamic orthodoxy.

An engineer by profession, the 51-year old Mohammad Nizar has had the benefit of being in a multi-ethno centric communities, starting with the Anglo Chinese School during his primary schooling days right up to his graduation from the Aston University of Science and Technology, Birmingham in 1980.

Close compatriots say Mohammad Nizar is multilingual, and the reason why the engineering consultant is put at the forefront in the party programmes involving non-Muslim participants but the Pasir Panjang State Assemblyman laughed of this suggestion, saying that he only speaks a smattering of Chinese and Tamil.

"It's just enough for me to get by, but not to the extent of being able to give a statement in the two languages", said Mohammad Nizar, who joined the party in 1995 and is now Pas Kampar division chairman as well as Perak Pas secretary.

His win in Pasir Panjang against Barisan Nasional candidate Dr. S. Vasan from MIC, was actually his second stint as a Pas candidate for the general election; the first taking on Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz for the Kuala Kangsar parliamentary seat in 2004.

A registered engineer with the Malaysian Board of Engineers, Mohammad Nizar's resume listing includes stints with the Public Works Department, the Urban Development Authority, the Penang Development Corporation as is currently the Managing Director of several private companies.

[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/NewsBreak/20080317154746/Article/index_html]