Ex-minister Tok Mat dies

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Information Minister and one-time Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat died at his home in Bukit Damansara yesterday, three days short of his 72nd birthday on Monday.

Tok Mat, as he was popularly known, died in his sleep, according to his eldest son and Pulai MP Datuk Nur Jazlan.

Nur Jazlan said the family found out that Tok Mat had died at about 8am when his mother, Puan Sri Salbiah Abdul Hamid, tried to wake him up.

Tok Mat was buried at the Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery after the Asar prayers.

Nur Jazlan said his father had been suffering from kidney ailments for about 10 years and had been on dialysis.

Tok Mat’s last request was for his driver to take his wife out for a drive.

The night before he died, he called his driver Tofek and told him to take his wife out for a drive in the morning.

It was as if he had a premonition that his wife needed to be consoled.

Salbiah, 71, said she found the request strange as it was the driver’s day off.

“I was not aware he had called the driver the night before.

“But by the time the driver arrived in the morning to fulfil his request, my husband had passed away,” she said.

Tok Mat served as the Information Minister twice, from 1978 to 1982 under then Prime Minister, the late Tun Hussein Onn, and from 1987 to 1999 under then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

As a minister, Tok Mat introduced the Setia Bersama Rakyat (Semarak) programme aimed at instilling greater love for the country.

Tok Mat was also known for being firm. He ordered rock singers to trim their long hair if they wanted to participate in programmes broadcast over Radio Televisyen Malaysia.

Among those who followed the directive were rock groups Wings and Search.

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