KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — Former health minister and MCA vice president Datuk Chua Jui Meng has died today.
The death of 80-year-old Chua, who was also the country’s longest-serving health minister, was announced by Segamat MP R. Yuneswaran.
“My condolences to the Datuk Chua Jui Meng’s family. He has returned to his creator earlier this evening.
“Rest in Peace, Datuk!” Yuneswaran’s Facebook post read.
Yuneswaran said he had managed to meet Chua several weeks ago in Segamat, Johor for lunch.
He then recalled that one of the reasons he became actively involved in politics as early as 2008 was attributed to his stint as Chua’s working secretary when the latter was Johor PKR chief in 2012.
Chua served as health minister from 1994 to 2004.
He was also an elected representative for Bakri, having been elected for five terms from 1986 to 2008.
Chua left MCA in 2009 to join PKR, citing, among others, a loss of confidence in the MCA leadership led by former president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and the sudden “mysterious” death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) watch.
Chua last contested in the 2013 general election (GE13), losing the battle for the Segamat parliamentary seat to then MIC president and the seat’s incumbent, Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam.
