BERSATU DEPUTY MINISTER IN PMO FARID RAFIK DIES OF HEART ATTACK: STAGE SET FOR ANOTHER BELLWETHER BY-ELECTION – THIS TIME IN JOHOR’S TANJUNG PIAI

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohamed Farid Md Rafik has passed away in the early hours of this morning. He was 43.

Farid (picture, above), who is deputy national unity and social wellbeing minister, is believed to have died at Hospital Pontian in Johor sometime between 5.30am to 6am.

Farid, from Bersatu, was Tanjung Piai parliamentarian.

He defeated MCA two-term incumbent Wee Jee Seng with a slim majority of 524 votes at the general elections last year. Farid bagged 21,255 votes against Wee’s 20,731. The other candidate was PAS’ Nordin Othman with 2,962 votes.

Tanjung Piai, which is in southwest Johor, is considered a marginal seat.

Heart attack

Berita Harian reported Johor Menteri Besar Dr Sahruddin Jamal as saying that Farid is believed to have suffered a heart attack.

The UK-trained anaesthesiologist joined Bersatu in 2017 although his family’s political roots are traditionally Umno.

His mother, Norma Mohamed, is a former Tanjung Piai Umno Wanita chief. She, however, joined Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Bersatu in 2016.

Farid was instrumental in setting up and expanding Bersatu chapter in Tanjung Piai, then seen largely as a BN stronghold.

He is expected to be laid to rest at about 5.30pm, this evening.

MKINI