Kuala Lumpur: The former culture, youth and sports minister, Mokhtar Hashim, who had sentenced death penalty for murder in 1983, died at the age of 78 at a hospital in Ampang on Wednesday.
According to reports, the former minister died at around 3.10 am. The news of his death was shared by his wife and children through a WhatsApp message.
His burial ceremony will be conducted at the Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery today. He was a cabinet minister during Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s first cabinet.
He was given the death penalty for the 1982 murder of the then speaker of Negri Sembilan legislative assembly, Mohamad Taha Talib.
The news was a great sensation back then, as the murder trial of Mokhtar, replete with dramatic testimony of black magic and torture.
However, it is believed that it was an internal fight over the position as both were competing for the same post.
He was sentenced to death on 6 March 1983, which was later reduced to life imprisonment. Later he was released from prison on 10 July 1991 following a royal pardon by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.