Jaimin Samitah, an aide to Malaysia's Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Guandee Kohoi, died on Monday (Aug. 9) due to Covid-19 complications, reported The Star.
Jaimin is reportedly the first death of the "parliament cluster", as the tally of Covid-19 cases linked to the special meeting in parliament (Jul. 26 t0 29) reaches 97 cases, as of August 10.
It is understood that the 63-year-old initially tested negative before leaving parliament, but later developed symptoms and tested positive for Covid-19 in another test.
He was hospitalised on August 4, but succumbed to Covid-19 related complications five days later.
Deputy minister saddened by aide's death
Speaking to Berita Harian, The Deputy Minister Datuk Guan Dee Koh Hoi expressed his sadness over the passing of his aide.
He added that him and his four aides, including Jaimin, had initially tested negative in a Covid-19 screening test before leaving the special meeting at the Malaysian parliament on July 29.
On August 2, Guan Dee urged Jaimin to take another Covid-19 test after the latter reportedly told him that he was not feeling well.
According to Guan Dee, Jaimin was then quarantined and received treatment at a hospital. He subsequently passed away on August 9.
Guan Dee extended his condolences to Jaimin's family, and the ministry also posted their condolences on Facebook in remembrance of Jaimin.
According to Guan Dee’s principal private secretary Ardino Diris, the entire delegation has been ordered to undergo another swab test on August 10, reported The Vibes.
Ministry of Health's statement
The Malaysian Ministry of Health (KKM) released a statement on August 10 regarding the "parliament cluster" and the death of a high-ranking government official.
Although the deceased was unnamed due to ministry guidelines, it is believed to be referring to Jaimin, as he is the only case of death from the parliament cluster thus far, reported Free Malaysia Today.
The statement detailed the developments of Jaimin's case.
He tested negative in a pre-parliament screening on July 23 and in a Rapid Antigen test on July 29 after the sitting.
Then, he started having symptoms on July 31 and his polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test returned a positive result.
His conditions deteriorated and he was hospitalised on August 4. Subsequently, he succumbed to his critical condition and passed away on August 9.
The ministry added that their investigations of the "parliament cluster" showed that the positive cases were not related to each other.
Except for the close contacts, the sharing of rooms and facilities, including toilets, surau, and dining areas by many individuals had put many at risk of Covid-19 infection in parliament.
Top image via Wilfred Madius Tangau/Facebook & Malaysian Parliament website