500 pay their last respects to Megat Junid

PETALING JAYA: Former and current Cabinet ministers joined more than 500 people in paying their last respects to Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub at his home in Kelana Jaya. 

Megat Junid, the former domestic trade and consumer affairs minister, died of prostate cancer at the Pantai Medical Centre early yesterday. He was 65.  

He was buried at the Bukit Kiara Muslim cemetery after zohor prayers. 

Funeral rites: Family members pouring rose water onto Megat Junid’s grave at the Bukit Kiara Muslim cemetery yesterday

His son Megat Firdouz, 38, said his father passed away peacefully in his sleep and family members were at his deathbed. 

“I managed to talk to him at 4am and he gripped my hand tightly just before he died at 5.25am,” he said, adding that his father’s illness was first detected in September 2006. 

In Davos, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi extended condolences to Megat Junid's family. 

“I was informed (of his death) this morning and I am sad because he was a good friend of mine,” said Abdullah who is here to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. 

“On behalf of the Malaysian delegation here, I extend my condolences his family and I pray that God blesses his soul,” he said. 

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Megat Junid would be remembered as a jovial and lively person who “always injected humour during Cabinet meetings”. 

MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, who was Megat Junid’s colleague in the Home Ministry when they were both deputy ministers from 1991 to 1999, said the Barisan Nasional had lost a dedicated party leader. 

He said Megat Junid always tried to help in sorting out the people’s problems. 

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was among the first to arrive at the house, described Megat Junid, his former political secretary, as a hardworking and honest person. 

He said when he last met Megat Junid three weeks ago, the latter still wanted to speak about politics even though he was unwell.  

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