SHAH ALAM, July 2 — Hundreds of people including ministers gathered at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque here this afternoon to say a final goodbye to the late Shuhaimi Shafiei.
The 50-year-old who was elected Sungai Kandis assemblyman in the May 9 general election died earlier today from stage four cancer of the lymphoma.
Among those present was Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail who remembered Shuhaimi as a founding member of her party, PKR.
She expressed her sorrow, saying she didn’t think Shuhaimi’s cancer was that advanced because he had looked healthy and been so cheerful in the run-up to the 14th general election in May.
“May Allah grant all mercy, forgive and place him among the believers. I always asked about his health, but he told me he was only suffering from a neurological disease,” she said.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is also PKR president, said Shuhaimi’s death is a great loss to the country.
Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali commended Shuhaimi as a p
olitical activist who was committed to pursuing truth and justice.
“He was a leader who was very close to the people, especially in the state of Selangor. He also rendered good service to the country. I pray for his spirit to be blessed,” he said.
Shuhaimi had been Azmin’s political secretary when the latter was Selangor mentri besar.
Current Selangor Mentri Besar Amirudin Shari called Shuhaimi his “brother” and comrade in politics for the past 20 years.
“He was definitely loved and contributed a lot to the people and state. We were like brothers going through the ups and downs in this arena,” he said.
Amirudin, who is also from PKR, said the Pakatan Harapan coalition will only hold talks on the Sungai Kandis by-election to find Shuhaimi’s replacement three days after the kenduri tahlil. Shuhaimi died at 11.10am today at the Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care in Subang Jaya where he had been receiving treatment for cancer.
The funeral prayers were performed in the same mosque which was attended by his relatives as well as governmental officials.
