KUCHING: The demise of Datuk Frederick Bayoi Manggie is a great loss for the Serian community, said Serian MP Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem.
He described the late Bayoi, former Kedup assemblyman, as friendly and down-to-earth person during his lifetime.
“He’s very close to me and of course, I will miss him. In fact, the whole Serian community will miss him,” he told New Sarawak Tribune through a phone conversation on Monday.
Bayoi passed away at around 8am at his residence in Taman Pasir, Serian on the same day. He was 77 years old at the time of his death.
The late Bayoi was an assemblyman for five terms; two terms for Tarat seat and three terms for Kedup.
Riot, who is also the prime minister’s special envoy to East Asia, was among the first politicians who came to pay his last respects to Bayoi at his residence around 9.15am despite his busy schedule.
Riot mentioned that he fought against the late Bayoi in 1987 state election for the Tarat seat as Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) candidate but lost.
“Despite our rivalry in the election, he took it as a gentlemen’s game where he stood with the ‘May the best man wins’ motto.
“Even when I lost to him that is politics. Since then, we have been good friends,” he added.
Richard expressed his heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathy to the late Bayoi’s family.
