KOTA KINABALU, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today paid his last respects to the late Tan Sri Joseph Kurup at Wisma Fook Lu Siew here. The Prime Minister accompanied by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor arrived at the memorial centre at 2.22 pm and was greeted by Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup, the son of the late Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security before meeting family members including the widow, Puan Sri Melinda Mak Soak Fong. Anwar then mingled with the attendees at the centre before leaving to return to Kuala Lumpur this afternoon. Joseph, 79, who was the founder of Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) and former Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah, died at the National Heart Institute (IJN) in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday (April 17) and his body which was flown by commercial aircraft arrived here at 11.20 last night. The deceased who was the former Member of Parliament for Pensiangan held several important positions including Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (National U nity and Integration). Joseph who retired from politics last year had been holding the position of PBRS president since the establishment of the party in 1994 and his son Arthur who is also the deputy president succeeded his father as president in January last year. On Wednesday, Anwar in a post on his Facebook page expressed his condolences to Arthur and the family on Joseph's passing. Source: BERNAMA News Agency
