The late Hulu Selangor member of parliament Zainal Abidin Ahmad was put to rest at the Kampung Melaka Muslim cemetary, Jalan Cheras, before Friday prayers this morning. 

pkr mp hulu selangor zainal abidin ahmad Zainal Abidin ( left) , who died from brain cancer last night, left behind wife Siti Zaharah Mohd Zin and four children - three daughters and a son.

Present at the funeral were PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, its president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, deputy president Syed Husin Ali, Selangor PAS commissioner Dr Hasan Ali, Selangor Umno deputy chairperson Noh Omar, PKR vice-president Azmin Ali, Kulim-Bandar Baru MP Zulkifli Noordin, Pakatan Rakyat coordinator Zaid Ibrahim, Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan and DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang.

Earlier around 300 people ,including neighbours, friends and journalists ,had paid their last respects at his house in Batu 9 1/2, Jalan Cheras .

Picture taking within the compound of the house and during the burial was disallowed.

Too distraught to speak to reporters the family was whisked away.

NONE Muslim leaders had also accompanied the family when the body was taken to the Masjid Batu 10 - better known as the Yellow Mosque around 10.30am for prayers.

Loss to Selangor people

Opposition Leader Anwar, when met said that he was saddened by the loss as he had known Zainal Abidin since the 1970's when he was a University Malaya student.

"He was a man with strong ideals in education and language. I was an active member of the Malay Association back then," he said.

"Although he could not perform his duties as member of parliament for a long time as he was sick, but he will always be remembered," said Anwar.

NONE Meanwhile, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister, Noh said his passing away is a loss to the people of Selangor.

"My sympathies are with the family. He was well-known for his service when he was the deputy menteri besar of Selangor. We can not deny his contribution to the people of Selangor and Umno," said Noh.

DAP leader Lim also expressed his condolences, saying; "I am sad at his death. My sympathies are with the family ".

Zainal Abidin was born on Oct 10, 1939 and started his career as a teacher at the Kajang High School (1961-1968) and was later the principal of Sekolah Menengah Kuala Kubu Baru from 1972-1973, before being appointed a lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in 1974.

He then won a doctorate in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1980 and was promoted Dean of the education faculty in UKM before leaving the academic world to enter politics in 1989.

Before being appointed Selangor deputy menteri besar in 1999, he was a strong Umno member and served as a Selangor state executive councillor for eight years and Hulu Langat Umno division chief for 14.

In March 2005, he decided to leave Umno for the PKR.

Zainal Abidin seized the Hulu Selangor seat from the incumbent G Palanivel, the BN-MIC candidate at the 2008 general election.