KLANG: The chairman of the Pahang Local Government, Housing, Environment, and Green Technology Committee, Datuk Seri Johari Harun, 53, was on board the aircraft that crashed in Bandar Elmina, Shah Alam for official business.
This was confirmed by the Speaker of the Pahang State Assembly, Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin who addressed the media in the compound of the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital Forensic Department (HTAR), here today.
"Datuk Johari was on the plane for official matters; he had a meeting with the Pahang Menteri Besar (Datuk Seri Wan Rosy Wan Ismail) in Langkawi.
"I was initially surprised when I heard the news because we have many individuals named Johari. We have Johari Harun, Johari Hussein (member of the Tioman State Assembly). I didn't know which one.
"However, when we found out that his identity card began with the year 1970, meaning he was 53 years old, we could deduce that it was Johari Harun who had passed away," he said.
He described Johari, an exco member of the state, as diligent who had contested for the first time as a representative.
Further commenting, he mentioned that they were supposed to have a routine meeting with the Pahang state government exco members on Wednesday, but he did not meet Johari that day.
According to him, they last met the previous week during a programme and the late Johari would always seek opinions and advice about politics from him.
"We were supposed to meet him yesterday and this was a regular routine where I would be at the office on Wednesdays to communicate information to specific exco members. He would always respond and come but yesterday he was quiet (without any news).
"All of this is fated by Allah. He knows best and we are deeply saddened to lose a young figure with such big potential," he said.
Meanwhile, he mentioned that all matters related to the late Johari, including transportation and burial, will be fully covered by the state government.
He also commented that he had been asked about the vacant Pelangai State Assembly seat, and he had not yet received an official letter on it before notifying the Election Commission.
Earlier, Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan confirmed that 10 individuals, including Johari, were killed, involving eight passengers and the aircraft's crew.
Two more victims were civilians in a car and a motorcycle passing through the area when the plane crashed.
Hussein stated that the private plane was en route from Langkawi and was expected to land at 2.50pm but it crashed two minutes before the scheduled landing time.