Kassim Ahmad (9 September 1933 – 10 October 2017)[2] was a Malaysian Muslim philosopher, intellectual, writer, poet and an educator.
[3] Kassim was born in Bukit Pinang, Kota Setar in the northern Malaysian state of Kedah in 1933.
[5] Due to his deep interest in Malayan politics, he refused to take up a permanent position at SOAS and decided to return home.
[6] Kassim was an active member of the University Socialist Club in the 1950s, a left-wing student body in Malaya and Singapore.
He later went on to lead the political body together with Syed Husin Ali from 1965 until 1980 before joining the ruling United Malay National Organisation.
[7] He was arrested under the Internal Security Act for 5 years beginning 1976 for allegedly supporting a socialist-communist movement in Malaysia.