Former Malacca Chief Minister Abu Zahar Ithnin, 74, passed away at his house in Merlimau at 6pm today due to kidney complications.
   
Merlimau state assemblyman Roslan Ahmad, who is related to Abu Zahar, said he had been admitted to a hospital about a month ago due to complications in his kidney as he was a diabetic.
   
"He returned home three days ago and passed away in the presence of his family members this afternoon," he told Bernama, tonight.

Abu Zahar leaves behind wife Khalijah Mohd Jiddi and six children, five of them girls - Zalina, Roslaini, Marina, Zuraini, Khaidirah - and a son, Mohd Aidi Iskandar.
   
NONERoslan (right) said that he was diagnosed with diabetes about 10 years ago.
   
"Abu Zahar - who had served as the Malacca chief minister for two years - made tremendous contributions to the state, and was a mentor to me," he added.    
   
The late Abu Zahar - who was appointed chief minister from May 23, 1997 to Dec 2, 1999 - is expected to be buried at Makam Pahlawan Masjid Al-Azim at about 12.30pm tomorrow.
   
Born on Sept 14, 1939, Abu Zahar attended primary school at Sekolah Melayu, Merlimau and continued his secondary education at Sekolah Tinggi Melaka.
   
He received teachers training at Maktab Perguruan Kota, Kota Baru, Kelantan and Maktab Perguruan Bahasa, Bukit Senyum, Johor Baru, Johor before pursuing a diploma in Language Teachers' Training College, Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur.
   
Abu Zahar received his degree from Brighton Polytechnic Language Centre, University of Brighton, United Kingdom and served as a teacher in a number of schools in Malacca - among them Sekolah Menengah Yok Bin, Ayer Leleh - while his final position was assistant director-general for the Schools Registration Unit at the Malacca Education Department before resigning to contest in the 1986 general election.
   
In his first attempt, he won the Sungai Rambai state seat by defeating PAS candidate Rahimi Bani by a 2,439-vote majority and in November 1999, he won the Jasin parliamentary seat by beating Mujahid Yusof from PAS by a 10,685-vote majority.
   
He also served as the parliamentary secretary for the Home Ministry from December 1999 to March 2004.

- Bernama