Kerdau rep dies, by-election No 16 looming

Another by-election is looming with the death of Umno's Kerdau elected representative, Zaharuddin Abu Kassim.

PETALING JAYA: The country will see yet another by-election, the 16th, with the death of Umno’s Kerdau elected representative Zaharuddin Abu Kassim this evening.

Zaharuddin, 63, died of a heart attack at the Hospital Sultan Ahmad Shah here at 7.15pm.

Temerloh’s deputy police chief Supt Zundin Mahmood said the hospital confirmed that the assemblyman had suffered a heart attack.

Zaharuddin was reported to be in critical condition last year when he was admitted at the National Heart Institute (IJN) due to kidney complication as well as a heart ailment and unstable blood pressure.

He, however, recovered sufficiently and got married to Rozlifah Ahmad, 33, late last year.

In the 2008 general election, Zaharuddin defeated the PAS candidate, Hassanuddin Salim, with a 1,615-vote majority.

He polled 4,135 votes while Hassanuddin obtained 2,520.

The country had just witnessed a by-election in Tenang, Johor – a state seat which was retained by Barisan Nasional.

There will be another by-election in Merlimau, Malacca, on March 6 following the death of the Umno incumbent Mohamad Hidhir Abu Hasan.

The Kerdau by-election will be the first in Pahang, the homestate of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.