MUAR: Despite having a tight schedule, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin managed to spend time to visit an old friend in Kampung Liang Batu here during his one-day visit to the Pagoh parliamentary constituency today.

Muhyiddin and his wife, Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman visited A Hamid Yakim, 88, a police retiree who had once worked at Muar's Bukit Kepong police station, and his wife, Fatimah Abdullah, 83.

According to the couple's daughter, Sidah A Hamid, 56, her father was an old friend of the Prime Minister when Muhyiddin first ventured into politics and were active together in UMNO Youth about 40 years ago.

"When he came over to the house, the prime minister asked my father and mother to take care of themselves and their health in the current pandemic situation," she said when met by Bernama.

Sidah said her father had been on duty at the Bukit Kepong Police Station where a bloody incident on Feb 23, 1950 claimed 25 lives, namely 19 policemen and their family members.

However, she said her father was lucky and survived because he had returned to his home in Kampung Liang Batu when communist insurgents attacked the Bukit Kepong police station on that day.

Muhyiddin also took time to visit Fatimah Abd Majid, 78. another senior citizen in the village.

One of Fatimah's children, Rosnah Sabar, 54, said the arrival of Muhyiddin, who is also the Member of Parliament for Pagoh, brought joy to her mother who had been bedridden for the past three years due to a stroke.

"The Prime Minister asked my mother to take her medicine according to the doctor's recommendation and practise physical distancing to prevent COVID-19 infection," she said.

The prime minister also presented a wheelchair to her and food baskets to the two families.

Muhyiddin is also considering building a new house under the Poor People's Housing Programme (PPRT) for Fatimah Abd Majid who lives next to her daughter's house.

-- BERNAMA