Daily Msia - Haron Din's family touched by Zahid's jet offer, support from Malaysians

KUALA LUMPUR: The family of late Datuk Dr Haron Din took to Facebook today to express appreciation over the government's offer to bring the Pas spiritual leader's remains home and moral support extended by Malaysians. His daughter, Dr Huda in her posting on Tuan Guru Dato’ Dr Haron Din (Official) Facebook page today, said the offer of assistance, including to arrange for an aircraft to fly the remains of her father back to Malaysia

from the United States, was heartwarming. “We appreciate the efforts by the government, especially Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who went out of his way to make the arrangement. Thank you. We really appreciate and are touched. We would like to convey our appreciation for his (Zahid) concerns by calling Mama (mother) himself to ask how she was,” she said. In the post, she repeatedly conveyed her apologies to family, her father’s students, friends and Pas leadership for the decision to laid his remains abroad. This, she said was decided after taking into consideration Haron’s own wish to be buried where he had passed away. “When he was alive, I remember a time when baba (Haron) didn’t allow for a body to be transported from Kuala Lumpur to Perlis. What more having the remains kept for hours or even days in a body refrigerator. “Although many had extended assistance for the travel arrangement, seven days for the journey (to bring back Haron’s remains) is something we can’t accept," “If it’s up to my selfish heart, I would want baba to be near us. So that our memories will not fade because his tombstone is near. We will be able to visit (his grave) everyday. Everyone will be able to visit him too. Let it be in front of our eyes...That was what we wanted, and for others as well. “But, is this the right decision for baba? Expediting a funeral is also demanded by syara’ (religion)." "We feel that baba belongs to us, but truly he belongs to Allah,” said Dr Huda, who continued to apologies on her family's behalf for the decision. Meanwhile, Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas in a press statement today wrote: “Condolences to the Pas leadership and members, as well as Malaysians and Muslims for the passing of the Pas spiritual leader who is one of the senior figures of the Muslim Ummah”. “May Allah shower him with forgiveness and reward him for his good services to Islam and Muslims,” read the statement. Haron, 76, died at 10.10am on Friday (Malaysian time) at Stanford University Hospital in San Francisco, from heart complications. He was buried at the Five Pillars Muslim Cemetery in Livermore, California. The Pas spiritual leader is survived by wife Datin Khatijah Salleh, two sons and three daughters.