KUANTAN: On Wednesday, Pahang State Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin had run into assemblyman Datuk Seri Johari Harun at the Pahang State Secretary’s Office.
A day earlier, Bentong MP Young Syefura Othman had met him to discuss the future development of Pelangai, a state constituency within Bentong.
Yesterday, both were shocked when they learnt that Johari had died in the air crash near Subang.
Sharing news of the death on Instagram, Mohd Sharkar posted two photos of him with Johari and wrote that he prayed for the soul of the Pelangai assemblyman to be blessed by Allah SWT.
“I received news about a plane crash at about 3pm and that there was a VIP from Pahang in the aircraft ... then I saw his name linked as one of the victims through the posts and photos that went viral on social media.
“Upon checking, I found that he was indeed one of the victims. It is difficult to accept. It was only yesterday that we were at the Pahang State Secretary’s Office, he to attend the state council meeting and I, in my office,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
Pakatan Harapan’s Young Syefura also expressed her sadness on social media.
“I am so saddened by this loss. Just two days ago, we discussed the future development of Bentong and Pelangai,” she said.
As a new face in the 15th General Election, Johari was fielded as a Barisan Nasional candidate to take over from former Pahang mentri besar Tan Sri Adnan Yaakob.
Johari was subsequently appointed as the local government, housing, environment and green technology committee chairman in the Pahang unity government.
Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said the state has lost a leader devoted to serving the people.
Wan Rosdy also expressed his condolences on behalf of the Pahang government to Johari’s family and the families of all the victims involved in the incident.
“With sadness and sorrow, I have been informed that Johari, the state local government, housing, environment and green technology committee chairman, was one of the 10 victims who died in the crash of a light aircraft in the Elmina residential area, Shah Alam, at about 2.45pm,” he said in a statement.
Wan Rosdy also called on the public not to circulate images or videos of the deceased out of respect for the grieving families.
Johari had won the Pelangai state seat with a 4,048-vote majority, besting Perikatan Nasional’s Kasim Samad (3,260 votes), Pakatan’s Ahmed Wafiuddin Shamsuri (2,031 votes) and Isa Ahmad from Pejuang (65 votes).
The Pahang native son’s political career officially began when he was chosen to be the Umno youth chief for Bentong in 2008.
Besides politics, Johari was also active in other fields, such as education, having held board posts in various universities.
