Kerdau assemblyman passes away, 16th by-election looms...

Kerdau assemblyperson Zaharuddin Abu Kassim, 63, from Umno died atTemerloh's Hospital Sultan Ahmad Shah at 7.15pm today.

The Pahang state representative, who had been in and out of hospital over the past one year, had earlier fell in his bathroom at his home in Temerloh.

Zaharuddin had previously been admitted to the hospital twice due to kidney complication as well as a heart ailment and unstable blood pressure in May and November last year.

"Datuk Zaharuddin was confirmed as having suffered a heart attack," Temerloh OCPD, ACP Mohd Noor Mansor told Bernama. His passing sets the stage for the 16th by-election - and the first in Pahang - since the 2008 general elections. Under the election laws, the Election Commission will have to call a by-election within 60 days.

Kerdau is an overwhelmingly Malay-majority seat with the community comprising 89 percent of the 8,451 voters, while 5.6 percent are Chinese and 3.6 percent Indians. In the 2008 general elections, Zaharuddin beat PAS candidate hassanudin Salim with a majority of 1,615 votes.

In 2004, Umno's Redzwan Harun won the seat with a much higher majority of 2,565.

He suddenly lost conciousness

Zaharuddin had also been treated at the National Heart Institute for two months for kidney complication and heart ailment after undergoing surgery for intestinal ulcer at the Hospital Sultan Ahmad Shah Temerloh in May last year.

Meanwhile, Kuala Krau member of parliament Ismail Mohamed Said said Zaharuddin was taken to hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit, but was confirmed dead while receiving treatment.

"According to his aide, Zaharuddin had earlier complained of stomach ache and his aide had taken him to the bathroom, where he suddenly fell and lost consciousness," he said when met at the hospital.

Ismail said Zaharuddin was then preparing to attend a Chinese New Year gathering in Temerloh. He said Zaharuddin would be laid to rest at the Kampung Paya Taram Muslim Cemetery, Kerdau after the Zohor prayer tomorrow.

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source:malaysiakini

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