KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — Former DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock passed away this evening at the age of 61, his family has confirmed.
His son, Kerk Chee Yee said that his father had to undergo an operation for his Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) problem.
He went through a thrombolytic therapy on Sunday, but then fell into a coma.
“One of the possible risks which was communicated to us was internal bleeding, which was what took place in his brain hours after the operation.
“The bleeding in his brain had put him in coma and after battling for three days, he left us peacefully,” Chee Yee said in a statement.
DAP leaders today expressed their heartfelt condolences over Kim Hock’s passing.
“On behalf of DAP, I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Kim.
“He was a devoted and good SG. He led the party during our darkest hours, after we suffered heavy losses in 1999,” DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said during a press conference in Parliament today.
The other leaders present included DAP’s national organising secretary Anthony Loke, legal bureau chief Gobind Singh Deo, Ramkarpal Singh, Alice Lau and Teo Kok Seong.
Kim Hock was first diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2002. He was cancer free in 2007 until he had a relapse in 2015.
He served as a former political secretary to DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang and was also a one-term Durian Daun assemblyman from 1986 to 1990.
Kim Hock became Ipoh Timur MP in 1990 and 1999, and was the Kota Melaka MP from 1999 to 2004.
He also served as DAP secretary-general from 1999 to 2004.
