Burhanuddin al-Helmy

Datuk Seri Dr. Burhanuddin al-Helmy
President of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia
In office 1956 – 6 November 1969
Preceded by	Abbas Alias
Succeeded by	Mohd Asri Muda
Personal details
Born	1911 Kota Bharu, Gopeng, Perak, British Malaya (now Malaysia)
Died	6 November 1969 (aged 58) Taiping, Perak
Political party	Kesatuan Melayu Muda, Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM), Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party
Parents	Muhammad Nur Sharifah Zaharah Habib Osman
Religion	Sunni Muslim

Datuk Seri Dr. Burhanuddin bin Muhammad Nur al-Hilmi, commonly known as Burhanuddin al-Helmy (1911–6 November 1969) was a Malaysian politician. He was the president of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) from 1956 to 1969.

Burhanuddin was born in Kota Bharu, Perak in 1911. His father, Muhammad Nur, came from Batu Sangkar, West Sumatera. He studied at India's Aligarh Muslim University. After his return from India, he taught Arabic at Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah, Aljunied, Singapore. During his time in Singapore, he was arrested by the British, but was bailed out after one night by a member of the Alsagoff family.

After World War II, Burhanuddin set up the Malay Nationalist Party. The party advocated Malay rights and proposed a "political union" with Indonesia.

Burhanuddin assumed the presidency of PAS in 1956, and held the post until his death in 1969. He won the Besut parliamentary seat in the 1959 elections. PAS had a left-wing orientation under Burhanuddin's leadership: he supported trade unions and anti-colonialism. He has been described as a "radical nationalist and Islamic thinker". His presidency was interrupted by his arrest under the Internal Security Act in 1965 and subsequent imprisonment for one year on charges of plotting to overthrow the Malaysian government and install an Indonesian-friendly replacement.

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