KOTA BARU (Dec 31): Former Umno veteran Datuk Hassan Harun, 75, died at 5am today in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM), Kubang Kerian near here due to chronic diabetes, which he had endured since 20 years ago.

His wife, Datin Che Fatimah Mohd Saad, 73, said her husband was in hospital earlier for a surgery to remove gallstones.

“He was discharged from hospital on Dec 18, but then seemed to be getting weaker and losing his appetite, and was admitted again a few days ago for high fever, and was then transferred to the ICU,” she said when met at her residence at Wadi Sofia, Kampung Padang Bongor, Binjai here.

Hassan left two wives, Fatimah, who gave him five children, and Liyana Leng Abdullah, 51, with two children.

He also left 12 grandchildren.

Hassan’s remains would be buried at the Kampung Dalam Kuin Muslim Cemetery in Binjai after the Zohor prayer today.

Meanwhile, Kelantan Bersatu chairman Datuk Kamaruddin Md Nor, who was close with Hassan while they were students at Universiti Malaya in the early 1970s, described Hassan as a pioneer in private education, a man with vision and was concerned over problems of student dropouts.

“Both of us will find ways to place them (student dropouts) in private schools for them to repeat their examinations and then continue their study at the university level,” he said after visiting Hassan’s family to convey his condolences.

Hassan was the founder of several learning institutions, such as Sekolah Kadir Adabi, Akademi Kenali, Universiti Teknologi Abdul Razak (Unitar), Institut Pendidikan (IP) and the Wadi Sofia International School.

He was also the chairman of KUB Malaysia Bhd (KUB), turning it from a cooperative to a well-known corporate body.

Formerly an Umno member, he joined Bersatu this year and contested for the post of the Pengkalan Chepa Bersatu divisional head.