KUANTAN: "My father was a great man. Even though he only studied up to Standard Five, he always encouraged me to learn, to go to university, to be a good person and contribute to the people."
These are the heartfelt words by Pahang Tourism and Culture Committee chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin on his father Shamsudin Sulaiman, 82, who died of a stroke at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) at 3.46pm yesterday.
"My father was such an outgoing person that the people of Temerloh know him, and that at times some people knew him first before they got to know me," Sharkar said.
"It happened so fast. Less than 24 hours after he fell down," he said in recalling the events leading up to his father's death.
Sharkar said that on Shamsudin suffering the fall, he was initially sent to Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital, Temerloh, but was later transferred to HKL, Kuala Lumpur, due to the second hospital having more advanced medical equipment and facilities.
He said that on receiving the news, he had cut short his working trip to London, the United Kingdom, and arrived home earlier yesterday so that he can join his family at Shamsudin's bedside.
"I managed to be at my father's side after he was hospitalised," he said in a heavy tone.
"We redha (accept) with the will of Allah," he said on how he and his family are coping with the matter.
Sharkar was representing Pahang and was with Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz at the World Travel Mart in Excel London (United Kingdom).