Kurup death huge loss for Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: The passing away of Tan Sri Joseph Kurup at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday is a big loss to Sabah, where he had served with distinction.

Kurup, 79, born in Tambunan on Dec 15, 1944, had a legal background with a Diploma in Public Administration from Institut Teknologi Mara, Bachelor of Law with Honours from the University of London and was a Barrister-at-Law in Inner Temple London.

He joined Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and his political career began in 1985 when he won the Sook state seat in the Sabah state election and a year later became the party’s secretarygeneral.

Kurup, who served five terms (1985-1994) as the Sook state assemblyman under PBS, set up Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) and became its president in 1994. PBRS was a Barisan Nasional component party from 1994 to 2023.

Under the PBRS ticket, he returned as the state assemblyman for Sook in 2004 and was elected as the MP for Pensiangan for two terms (2008 to 2013).

In his illustrious career, he held various positions, including as minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, deputy energy and natural resources minister and rural and regional development deputy minister.

The Pensiangan, Keningau native had also served as Sabah deputy chief minister, agriculture and fisheries state minister, communications and works state minister, finance state minister, industrial development state minister, resource development and enterprise state minister as well as youth and sports state minister.

His son Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup, who was fielded in Pensiangan, continued his father’s legacy and has defended the seat twice in the 2018 and 2022 general elections and replaced the late Kurup as PBRS president in January 2023.

Kurup is survived by his wife Puan Sri Melinda Mak Soak Fong, Arthur and five other children. – Bernama