PADANG SERAI: Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate M. Karupaiya, 69, who was set to defend the Padang Serai seat in the 15th General Election (GE15), passed away from a heart attack today.
Kulim police chief Superintendent Redzuan Salleh confirmed that Karupaiya breathed his last at 2.27pm at Kulim Hospital.
PKR secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail also confirmed the news.
Two days ago Karupaiya was rushed to the hospital when he collapsed after attending a PH rally in Kulim and Padang Serai.
The rally was attended by PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Karupaiya, a former army officer, won the Padang Serai seat in GE14 after defeating Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Dr Leong Yong Kong and Pas candidate Muhammad Sobri Osman.
He was defending the seat in the GE15 in a six-cornered fight against BN's Datuk C. Sivaraj, Azman Nasrudin (Perikatan Nasional), Hamzah Abdul Rahman (Pejuang), Bakri Hashim (Warisan) and independent candidate Sreanandha Rao.
In an immediate reaction, Sivaraj offered his condolences to Karupaiya family and supporters.
"Karupaiya was a former military man who had spent his life in public service and the political world.
"As the MIC and BN representative here, I was shocked to hear about the loss. It is truly a huge loss and an unexpected one to the people of Padang Serai. I hope he will rest in peace," Sivaraj said in a statement.
His family members claimed his body after being released from the hospital's mortuary about 5.40pm.
His remains were taken to his home in Taman Bayam, Lunas here for funeral arrangements.
He is survived by his wife, two sons aged 47 and 42 and a daughter aged 32.
