KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Yahya Lampong, the former Deputy Minister of Rural Development, has passed away this morning.
It is understood that he breathed his last at the age of 86 in Kuala Lumpur.
Yahya was born in Kinarut in 1940.
He held a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Malaya, and his final government position before entering politics was Chief Executive of SEDCO.
He contested the Usukan state seat on the BERJAYA ticket in 1981 against USNO President Tun Said Keruak but lost by a narrow margin of 81 votes.
The following year in 1982, he ran as an independent candidate and won when facing the BN candidate from USNO, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.
He was subsequently appointed Deputy Minister of Rural Development Malaysia. However, in 1985, he resigned from his position and left BERJAYA to join USNO.
He was the USNO candidate in the 1985 state election against BERJAYA candidate Datuk Hj Mohd Nor Mansor in Tempasuk and emerged victorious.
According to author Musli Oli, Yahya was a key driving force in efforts to bring UMNO into Sabah.
“The late Yahya was among the prominent figures who made significant contributions during the early establishment of UMNO and united the Bumiputera Muslim community in Sabah,” he stated.
Musli noted that his final position within UMNO was Chief of the Tanjung Aru UMNO Division.
