LAHAD DATU (April 13): Former Silam (now known as Lahat Datu) member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Salleh Kalbi, 61, died at the Lahad Datu Hospital at about 4.40am on Sunday morning due to a lung infection.

This was confirmed by the late Salleh’s wife Datin Fatmah Abdul Aziz, who informed that her husband had been admitted and was undergoing treatment at the hospital for the past two weeks.

"The funeral prayers were held at the Firdaus Mosque in Kampung Sapagaya, and [he] was buried at the Muslim Cemetery in Kampung Terusan after Zohor today," she said when contacted on Sunday.

Fatmah described her late husband as a good person, who was humble and with a people's spirit.

She said that throughout her life, Salleh was easily approachable and even until the end, he continued to fight to defend the people of Lahad Datu.

Salleh, who was the Barisan Nasional MP for the Silam Parliamentary constituency from 2008 to 2013, leaves behind a widow and two daughters.

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