Salahuddin cared about his family a lot, says younger brother

PONTIAN - "My brother is a person who cares a lot about his family and will return to the village even when he is busy, just to kiss the hand of our mother, Aminah Abdullah, 83," said Ghazaley Ayub, 56.

The younger brother of the late Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister, Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said that after his father's passing in 2009, his brother took responsibility for his two younger siblings.

"As the eldest brother, he (Salahuddin) is very responsible and never forgets our mother.

"We as a family were always with him through the twists and turns of his journey as a politician until he succeeded in becoming a minister.

"My family and I are at peace and accept my brother's passing. Alhamdulillah, the process of bringing his remains from Alor Setar to Serkat went smoothly and was made easy," he said when met at the Jamek Haji Dato Noh Gadut Mosque in Serkat on Monday.

Ghazaley said as soon as he was told about his brother being admitted to theSultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB) on Friday morning, he rushed from Alor Setar, Kedah to see him.

"I arrived at the hospital at 11am and the specialist doctor informed me that the situation was critical at that time and that there was little hope of recovery.

"Although it is difficult to accept, I still hope there will be positive developments for my brother. But Allah loves him more," he said.

Meanwhile, Salahuddin's wife Datin Seri Fatimah Taha said she was always by her husband's side when he was receiving treatment at HSB.

"It happened that I accompanied him to the programme. He was not alone at that time. I was by his side and I could not imagine him being alone during a seizure.

"He (the deceased) always came back to me even though he left me to attend the programmes; now he has left me and he won't come back," she said.