PBRS founder Tan Sri Joseph Kurup passed away

17 April 2024

Nabalu News Journalist

KOTA KINABALU: Tan Sri Joseph Kurup a prominent Malaysian politician who served as the 1st and founding President of the Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), has died at the age of 79.

According to sources, he passed away at the Institute Jantung Negara (IJN) after a long illness.

Tan Sri Joseph led PBRS as a component party of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, where he held various ministerial positions, including Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development in the BN administration under former Prime Ministers Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib Razak.

He dedicated 33 years of his life to public service, before he decided not to contest in the 2018 general election. He entrusted the responsibility of safeguarding his Pensiangan parliament seat to his son, Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup, ensuring a smooth transition of leadership within the party.

His son Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup, has served as the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security in the Unity Government administration under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Minister Mohamad Sabu since December 2023. He is the Member of Parliament for Pensiangan since May 2018.