The news of the sudden death of Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail just now is most shocking and I would like to convey to his family my deepest condolences for the loss of a sober-minded and even-handed Malaysian.
Razali had always impressed me with his rationality as he is a rare Umno MP who is not only well-read and very passionate about education and life-long learning but would have no truck with ultra sentiments and unparliamentary antics and outbursts.
There is going to be a major by-election with the vacancy arising from the death of Razali.
DAP will go all out to work for Mat Sabu’s return to Parliament, as the PAS National Vice President lost narrowly to Razali in the 2008 general election in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constituency by a razor-edge 628 votes.
Razali secured 32,562 votes, Sabu 31,934 votes while independent candidate Maimun Yusuf polled 685 votes.
(Speech2 at the DAP Penang 13,000-People Victory Dinner at Han Chiang School on Friday, 28th November 2008)