ALOR STAR, 16 Dec 2008: Kedah Umno liaison advisor Tan Sri Azahari Md Taib, 85, died of old age at his home in Lorong Air Putih, Kota Tanah, here, today.
His son, Amir, said he was asthmatic and had fainted twice since 6am, before taking his last breath at 7.30am.
He leaves behind his wife, Puan Sri Dalilah Abas, 78, nine children, 28 granchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Azahari was chair of the Kedah association of former elected representatives and former information chief of Saberkas, an organisation formed to oppose the establishment of the Malayan Union proposed by the British after World War Two.
He started out as a reporter with Warta Negara in 1946 and was with the Utusan Melayu Group from 1948 to 1959.
In 1964, he contested and won the Sungai Petani Luar state seat in Kedah as an Alliance candidate and was an MP for Sungai Petani from 1969 to 1974.
Azahari last contest and won the Kulim parliamentary seat for Barisan Nasional in the 1974 general election and was appointed Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat in 1978.
The Sultan of Kedah, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, and Kedah Umno liaison chair Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid were among those who paid their last respects to him.
He was buried at the Akar Peluru Muslim cemetery in Jalan Pegawai after the Asar prayers. — Bernama
