Former senior parliamentary secretary Maidin Packer dies at 66

Former Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Mohammad Maidin Packer Mohd, 66, died of a heart attack on Jun. 24.

He was rushed to Changi General Hospital at about 7:05pm but passed away soon after at around 8:35pm, Maidin Packer's brother told Berita Harian.

Alongside being a former assistant editor of the Malay newspaper, Maidin Packer was also an MP (Member of Parliament) for Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC) between 1991 and 1996 and an MP for Marine Parade GRC between 1997 and 2006.

He was Parliamentary Secretary for Education between 1997 and 2001 and became Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education in 2001.

He was also Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs from 2001 to 2006 and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment in 2003 and 2004.

Prime Minister Wong paid his last respects

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he paid his last respects to Maidin Packer on the morning of Jun. 25.

PM Wong described Maidin Packer's contributions across various ministries as invaluable.

"His deep ties to the community date back to his time as Assistant Editor of Berita Harian and Berita Minggu, and continued after he joined politics," PM Wong said.

"His many contributions to Singapore will be cherished and remembered. My thoughts are with the family of the late Encik Maidin."

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong offers condolences

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong wrote to Maidin Packer's wife to offer his deepest condolences on her husband's passing.

"His deep connections with the Malay/Muslim community made him a good adviser on matters relating to the community and on national issues," SM Lee said.

"Successive Prime Ministers, including myself, appreciated his insights and political sense. His ability to connect and inform the community was valuable to us."

SM Lee also gave numerous examples of Maidin Packer's contributions to Singapore over the decades, including his successful career in journalism, his role as Political Secretary to then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1990, and his role in the rejuvenation of the Geylang Serai.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohamad Maliki Osman paid tribute to the former leader after news of his passing.

"Maidin Packer has made invaluable contributions to the Singaporean Malay/Islamic society throughout his illustrious career," Maliki said in a Facebook post, adding that Maidin's leadership further amplified the voices of the Malay/Muslim community.

Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng said he was saddened to receive news of the passing of Maidin.

"Mr. Maidin had served in the former Kampong Ubi ward of our GRC until 2006 and was well-loved by residents there," said Tan.

Maidin Packer's funeral will be held on Jun. 25 at his home at Block 333 Tampines Street 33.

Top image via Maidin Packer's Facebook and National Archives of Singapore.