FORMER People's Action Party (PAP) MP Mansor Haji Sukaimi died yesterday, three months after he was diagnosed with leukaemia, a life-threatening blood disorder. He was 65.
He was MP for Kampong Kembangan from 1976 to 1984. After he left politics, he became a consultant on early childhood development.
He died at 12.30pm at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), where he had been receiving treatment since August. He leaves behind his 65-year-old wife, three children and 12 grandchildren.
Mr Mansor was first diagnosed with leukaemia in Kuala Lumpur in August. He was flown there after he collapsed in Tuban town outside Surabaya in Indonesia, where he was attending a three-day seminar as a speaker.
From KL, he was transferred to SGH, where he underwent chemotherapy treatment.
His son, Mr Maritz, a legal counsel, told The Straits Times that early last month, his father's health had improved enough for him to return home to join his family for Hari Raya celebrations.
About 10 days later, he returned to SGH and was warded for doctors to monitor his condition. But on Thursday, Mr Mansor's condition deteriorated rapidly and he had to be moved to the intensive-care unit.
Yesterday, Foreign Minister George Yeo and Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zainul Abidin Rasheed were among the close to 100 people at the Sultan Mosque to pay their last respects before his burial at the Choa Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery.
Others present included former Malay PAP MPs Othman Haron Eusofe, Yatiman Yusof, Ibrahim Othman, Abbas Abu Amin and Wan Hussin Zoohri, as well as former Workers' Party member Jufrie Mahmood.
Many of them described Mr Mansor as someone with drive, passion and many ideas to help the Malay-Muslim community. It was a trait he showed even when he was battling his illness.
Mr Yeo said when he chatted with Mr Mansor at SGH two months ago, the latter was still brimming with ideas on how to help out in his previous ward.
Mr Yeo is MP for the Kampong Kembangan ward in the Aljunied GRC, having taken over in 1988 from Mr Yatiman, who had succeeded Mr Mansor in 1984.
He said Mr Mansor wanted to help students who were having difficulties with their studies. 'He had these very interesting views on how students can be helped through a holistic approach. I had been looking forward to welcoming him back.'
Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim noted Mr Mansor's instrumental role in the founding of Mendaki in 1981.
Mr Mansor was among the Malay MPs who mooted the formation of the self-help group as a means to uplift the educational performance of the Malay community. This followed the release of the 1980 Census that showed the Malay community lagging behind on a range of social and educational indicators. He served in Mendaki until 1987.
Mendaki said in a statement last night: 'He was one of the proponents who strongly believed that reading a book at bedtime is one of the best gifts you can give to your child - a culture that was alien to the Malay-Muslim community in the late 1980s and 1990s...His passing will indeed be a big loss to the community and be mourned by many.'
