IPOH:Gerik MP Datuk Hasbullah Osman died in Raub, Pahang this afternoon due to heart disease.

He was 63.

Temenggor State Assemblywoman Salbiah Mohamed when contacted by Bernama here, confirmed the matter.

She said Hasbullah was pronounced dead at the Raub Hospital.

Meanwhile, Hasbullah’s special officer Siti Aminah Abu Mansor said the MP’s office was informed that Hasbullah fell unconscious following a heart attack while in the car at his wife's village in Raub at about 6.30 pm.

She said Hasbullah, who is also the Gerik UMNO Division chief, was then rushed to Raub Hospital before being pronounced dead at about 7 pm.

"The Gerik MP's office was informed of the incident by Datuk (Hasbullah)’s driver. The body is currently at the hospital and will be taken back to Gerik after all related matters are settled," she said when contacted here today.

Hasbullah was also chairman of Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB), and had been the political secretary to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin during the latter’s tenure as deputy prime minister in 2009.

The Gerik Parliamentary constituency is located in Hulu Perak, and has two state constituencies, namely Temenggor and Pengkalan Hulu.

The late Hasbullah began contesting as a people’s representative in the 11th General Election (GE11) in 2004, when he won the Temenggor state seat against Mohd Aun Yob Abas of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) with a majority of 4,666 votes, and defended the seat in GE12 by defeating Moon Akau from PKR with a majority of 4,617 votes.

In GE13, he contested the Gerik Parliamentary seat and won against Norhayati Kasim from PAS with a majority of 6,216 votes, and defended the seat in GE14 with a majority of 5,528 votes against PAS candidate Mohd Dahalan Ismail.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and his family today expressed their condolences to the family of Hasbullah.

Muhyiddin described Hasbullah's death as a great loss as the late UMNO politician had been his political secretary when he was deputy prime minister.

“As a political secretary, he had played a major role in shaping my political journey, a service that I greatly appreciate to this day.

"We shared many memories. His passing is a great loss to me, '' Muhyiddin said in a posting on his Facebook account.

The prime minister said as an MP, the late Hasbullah always raised issues and matters related to the people’s interests.

Muhyiddin said Hasbullah was also a friendly person and this attitude made him an easy person to get along with.

“On behalf of the government, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and gratitude for Allahyarham’s services throughout his tenure as an MP and also as the chairman of SPNB.

“May Allah the Almighty place his soul among the righteous,” Muhyiddin said. 

-- BERNAMA