Megat Junid passes away

By : Jennifer Gomez, Marc Lourdes and Shuhada Elis




UMNO STALWART: Megat Junid was a longtime loyalist of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad PETALING JAYA,

Former Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub, 65, passed away at 5.25 am today at the Pantai Medical Centre, Bangsar.

Megat Junid succumbed to prostate cancer and secondary cancer of the lungs, in addition to kidney failure.

He is survived by three sons and two daughters from two wives, Puan Sri Faizah Shuaib and Ziela Jalil.

Born at Kampung Bandar Mukim Bandar, Teluk Intan, Perak, on Dec 8 1942, Megat Junid received his education at Sekolah Melayu Air Mati, Teluk Intan and Sekolah Menengah Anderson, Ipoh. He was a teacher and held a Bachelor of Arts honours degree from Universiti Malaya.

Megat Junid has an illustrious career in politics launched by his stint as the special assistant to then Education Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1975.
He then became the political secretary to Dr Mahathir, during the latter’s tenure as Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. His last cabinet post was as Domestic and Consumer Affairs Minister between 1997 and 1999.

He became an UMNO supreme council member in 1987 and was made UMNO Information Chief in 2002.

Megat Junid was chairman of Stemlife Bhd until May 2007. He was also president of the Kuala Lumpur Football Association.

He will be buried today at the Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetary after zohor prayers.

Among those who turned up to pay their last respects were Dr Mahathir, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting and UMNO Information Chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

Dr Mahathir, who was there for an hour in the morning with Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamed Ali, described Megat Junid as a very good political secretary.

Although he smiled throughout the interview, Dr Ma hathir’s voice broke a few times.

Muhammad Taib hailed Megat Junid as a person who went around meeting grassroot leaders to explain fundamental policies to them.

“He was jovial and a very good speaker,” he added.

Ong described Megat Junid as a caring and helpful colleague and friend.

Others who turned up were former deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam, former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zain uddin, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, former Transport Minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Umno Youth exco member Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir.

Mukhriz, who described Megat Junid as a stalwart, said he represented Dr Mahathir very well during his tenure as political secretary.

“I was young and he was Uncle Megat to me. He was always in our house and very close to our family, Mukhriz said. "He was a loyalist to my father till the very end. Even last year, he attended the Perdana Global Peace Forum in a wheelchair."

Dr Ling, who used to play golf regularly with Megat Junid, described him as a good friend of 30 years.

Samy Vellu said that he was a "man of his words" and proved that a "minister could have humanity".