Country has lost a humble, hardworking leader in Salahuddin, say Hannah, Syed Saddiq

PETALING JAYA: The country has lost a great leader who was hard at work right up to his last moments, says Hannah Yeoh in paying tribute to the late Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub.

The Youth and Sports Minister reminisced on their early encounters and how they had fostered a good friendship over the years.

"I lost a defender. His Rahmah programme was a hit from day one and eventually became a value system as an effort to end hunger.

"He was a hard worker who took pride in his Rahmah initiatives," she said in a Facebook post Monday (July 24).

Yeoh said when she first met Salahuddin, he was in PAS, which was then part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

"After Pakatan Harapan made it to Putrajaya in 2018, we saw more of each other regularly," she said, adding that Salahuddin's wisdom earned him a very special place in her heart.

Meanwhile, the former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman thanked Salahuddin for always being helpful.

"You left us so early sir. Your contributions will forever be remembered.

"Before I could ask for help, he would always ring up first to offer it.

"There was no need to find him, as he would find us first.

"An extraordinary person, he was," said Syed Saddiq, who is also Muar MP and Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda) president.