An officer who accompanied Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture (Motac) Minister Guandee Kohoi during the special Dewan Rakyat sitting has passed away after contracting Covid-19.
Jaimin Samitah, the senator’s special functions officer, died around 4pm in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The deputy minister’s principal private secretary Ardino Diris confirmed the matter with Malaysiakini.
According to Ardino, Jaimin had been part of Guandee's entourage from July 26 to 29.
He initially tested negative when Parliament was locked down on July 29 for a sudden round of Covid-19 tests.
Jaimin, who was fully vaccinated, started developing symptoms afterwards and tested positive four days later.
“On July 29 he (Jaimin) tested negative.
“Then on July 30 he went to the Motac office in Putrajaya as normal but wasn’t feeling so well. He said he wanted to go back and rest.
“On July 31, according to him he didn’t feel comfortable so he went for an RT-PCR swab test [...] on Aug 2 it was confirmed he was positive,” Ardino explained.
He suspected that Jaimin had contracted the virus while in Parliament grounds but was unclear if the latter was classified as part of the Parliament Covid-19 cluster.
A total of 88 cases have been linked to the cluster as of Aug 8.
Malaysiakini has contacted the Health Ministry for more information.
Condolences pour in
Ardino expressed his team’s sadness over Jaimin’s passing.
“We really feel the loss of Jaimin. Guandee is also very sad to lose such a talented and very kind, soft-hearted person,” he said.
Others also offered their condolences for the Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku Rakyat (Star) supreme council member and Ranau division leader.
“His departure is a big loss for the party. His generous and friendly personality will be remembered forever.
“The youth in our party regarded him as a mentor who always offered them guidance. They regarded him as a teacher and friend who has left them too soon,” read an obituary on the Star website.
The Sabah Cultural Board (LKNS), of which Jaimin was previously a deputy chairperson, grieved his passing on Twitter.
Upko president and Tuaran MP Wilfred Madius Tangau said he will remember his relative and former LKNS colleague as a jovial man.
“Jaimin was my deputy at LKNS when I was appointed as chairperson. Actually, he is also related to my wife [...]
“I will immortalise my memories of him as an easy-going man who always smiled and yet was stern in his principles. We have lost a leader who invested a lot into the community,” he said in a Facebook post.
Jaimin is the older brother of Inland Revenue Board CEO Sabin Samitah.
- Mkini
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