“Frankie was always prepared to lay down his life, politically, economically, socially, and spiritually for us, those sons and daughters in whom he believed, and in whom he saw the promise of a better, brighter Trinidad and Tobago.”

The words of Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley, read by Laura, the wife of the late Senator Franklin Khan at his funeral on Saturday morning. 

Khan, who died on April 17th, received an official State funeral, but was not attended by dignataries, in keeping with current Covid-19 regulations which restricts the number of people in funerals to ten.

“Franklin Khan represented the best of what Trinidad and Tobago could produce. In him we found the rare combination of wisdom, humility, integrity, love for country and gratitude, all embodied in the one person who smiled through it all,” the PM remembered.

Franklin Khan’s political career spanned almost 26 years, having served variously as the Member of Parliament for Mayaro, a Minister of Government in the Ministries of Works and Transport, Rural Development and Local Government, and finally in Energy. He also served as Chairman of the People’s National Movement on two occasions: from 2003 to 2005 under the leadership of former Prime Minister Patrick Manning, and from 2011 to 2018 alongside Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley.

“Throughout it all, I was there with him. He showed how to handle defeat. He showed me how to appreciate victory through amazing self-belief and perseverance. He suffered and overcame the worst poison arrows shot from the evils of the political quiver but even then he was a teacher to the weaker ones,” the PM remembered.