chosen to serve under the Member System from 1953 to 1956, and held the Lands, Mines and Communications portfolio and later the Local Government, Housing and Town Development portfolio. Back in UMNO In the first ever federal elections in 1955, Nik Ahmad Kamil contested a seat as a Parti Negara candidate. He lost, and Parti Negara was swept aside by the Alliance Party led by Tunku Abdul Rahman. Realizing that Parti Negara had failed to gain relevance among the people of Malaya, he left to rejoin UMNO. He served under the new Alliance government as Commissioner of Trade to Australia from 1956 to 1957. Diplomacy Nik Ahmad Kamil joined the 1956 Merdeka Delegation led by the Tunku to London as one of four representatives of the Malay rulers. Following the independence of Malaya on 31 August 1957, he was appointed the first High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and served until 1958. He remained in the diplomatic circles and served as both Permanent Representative to the United Nations as well as Ambassador to the United States from 1959 to 1962. Return to active politics Nik Ahmad Kamil returned to contest the 1964 general election and won the Kota Bharu Hilir parliamentary seat in Kelantan. However, UMNO still lost out to the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) in Kelantan. In the next election in 1969, he won the Ulu Kelantan seat as PAS retained control of the state. He served as a member of the UMNO supreme council and later became its permanent chairman. In 1971, he was elected Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat. In 1974, he succeeded C.M. Yusuf as Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, a position he held until his death. Death Nik Ahmad Kamil suffered a heart attack while carrying out his duties in the Parliament building on 19 December 1977. He died the following morning. Honours Honours of Malaysia : Commander of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (PMN) – Tan Sri (1958) : Recipient of the Malaysian Commemorative Medal (Gold) (PPM) (1965) : Recipient of the Royal Family Order or Star of Yunus (DK) Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Crown of Kelantan or Al-Muhammadi Star (SPMK) Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Life of the Crown of Kelantan or Al-Ismaili Star (SJMK) Recipient of the Order of the Most Distinguished and Most Valiant Warrior (PYGP) References |- Chief Ministers