Today, we gather as a Senedd following the desperately sad news of the death of our friend Mohammad Asghar. His death came as a cruelly unexpected blow. Oscar was a proud representative of his party, his region and his country. He was one of the characters of our Senedd, and as we, his friends and colleagues, try to comprehend the news, our thoughts of course turn to warmly commemorating Oscar and to extending our sympathies to his family. To do so, may I ask our Senedd to observe a minute's silence in tribute to Mohammad Asghar, Member of the Senedd for South Wales East?

A minute's silence was held. 

Diolch. To lead our tributes to Mohammad Asghar, I call on the leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Paul Davies.

Diolch, Llywydd. It's with the heaviest of hearts that I make this contribution today. Mohammad Asghar, or Oscar, as we all knew him, was a man of immense warmth and kindness, a man who embraced us all with such profound respect, a man whose life was dedicated to enriching and supporting those around him, and a man who, so full of life himself, did so much to help people across Wales.

Llywydd, Oscar's sad and sudden passing yesterday will leave an emptiness in all who knew him. He was a man of such immeasurable love for others and, because of that, the sheer sorrow of his passing will be felt not just in this Chamber, but right across the world.

We all have events in our lives that shape us, shape our politics, shape who we are. I wonder about what the young Oscar saw and experienced. Born in 1945 in India, but two years later it was partitioned and his country became Pakistan. We know millions died at that time. We read about partition; the child that was Oscar experienced it. He had not only lived longer than many of us, he had also seen more. He was, of course, in Pakistan in 2007 when an attempt was made on the life of Benazir Bhutto. He was 30 yards from her when bombs went off and 130 people were killed. None of us—none of us—has seen such horrors.

His experiences were unique, and his approach to politics was unique to this Parliament. Oscar was, of course, the first elected representative of this institution from an ethnic and minority background, and he made sure to use that platform to widen every possible connection between the ethnic minority groups in Wales and this institution. He was the first Assembly Member to invite the Israeli ambassador to the Senedd to discuss peace, harmony and understanding between the Muslim and Jewish communities. He worked relentlessly to speak and listen to, and engage with people, and, in doing so, he made the Senedd so much more accessible to people. Groups, organisations, individuals from such a rich variety of backgrounds and religions have felt that the Senedd was welcoming to them, and that was because Oscar worked so hard to open the door and invite them in. Llywydd, I sincerely hope that, in the wake of Oscar's passing, every one of us will continue to build on that outreach and continue to open the Senedd doors to all.

Let us remember that he was the first Senedd Member in history to have a Sikh traditional kirtan held in the Senedd. As a man of deep faith himself, he was full of respect and tolerance for those who worshipped, and so it was a natural fit for him to be our group's spokesperson on faith. It was a role that was very important to him, and he worked hard to engage with faith communities across Wales and to build inter-faith networks across the country. The role allowed him to work once again with Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, who was then the Minister for Faith in the UK Government, and was a man that Oscar looked up to politically and cherished personally.

Oscar was, of course, a valued Member of the Welsh Conservative team, and he formed relationships with many of my colleagues here today. He was a kind employer who loved his staff, and so I extend my heartfelt condolences to Paul, Stephen and Gemma. Oscar saw his colleagues as an extension of his own family, and, because he was so warm and big-hearted, we will all carry memories of him that will make us smile. He had a warmth and generosity that was never hidden. I know that Members in other parties saw it too. He was generous in so many ways and with so many people, and he was also a rare thing in politics: someone who spoke no ill of others, who was not capable of hate, who saw in other politicians of all parties a shared commitment to achieve for their communities and their constituencies. I know that the grief we face in the Conservative group in this Welsh Parliament is one that is shared by other people and in other places. He cared so passionately for the people that he represented, and you could see his passion every day in his contributions in the Senedd Chamber. His commitment to his constituents was second to none.

For me, I will always have memories of campaigning with him across Newport. He was a joy to campaign with—always positive with a big smile on his face, and ready to meet people. He seemed to know absolutely everybody, and so campaigning around Newport with Oscar was always a pleasure—stopping to talk to anyone who came past us. He loved to be out in the community, talking to people and listening to their concerns, and despite the critics and the polls, he was determined to turn Newport East blue. He may not be with us in person at the next election, but you can be sure that his spirit will be there with us on every walk route around the city and at every door we knock.

Llywydd, anyone who knew Oscar knew he had a passion for cricket. He campaigned for Wales to have its own cricket team, and he tried hard for the Senedd to have its own team, too. But, above everything, Oscar was a devoted family man, who absolutely doted on his wife, Firdaus, and his daughter, Natasha. No other Member in this place ever spoke about his family as warmly or as regularly—he simply adored them both. Our thoughts are with them now as they navigate through life without their dear husband and father. They are suffering an immense loss, and we say to them both today that we are all here for you, to support you in any way we can.

There is something especially heartbreaking about today. It's not that we have come together to mourn, and we have done that too frequently in recent years; it is that we mourn in such an inhuman way. Our words may have warmth, but our interactions cannot. Oscar was such a tactile friend—an arm on the shoulder, a warm handshake and some people even got a hug. To sit here today in distant corners where we can't give a cwtsh to those who hurt and grieve is not an easy experience. Here we are in boxes on a screen; it's not natural, it's not human, and Oscar was one of the most natural and human of us all. On behalf of the Welsh Conservatives, I make this pledge to Firdaus and Natasha: we will forever honour your husband and father, and, as we grieve and by our actions in supporting you, we will show how much we honour him. He would have wanted no less than that, and that is what he and you shall get. Thank you.

First Minister.

Llywydd, diolch. This fifth term of devolution has been especially cruel in the loss of so many Members, both past and present. In the still young life of this Parliament, the death of a Member is an experience that strikes us with force each time we are confronted by it. Now, for the third time, we have lost a Senedd colleague elected alongside us in 2016.

I had two immediate thoughts about Mohammad Asghar when I was told of his sudden death yesterday, and I want to draw on them with you today as we remember his contribution to this Senedd and political life in Wales.

The first was his indefatigable attendance at events to mark and celebrate the contribution of minority communities in Wales. Those of us who represent constituencies with vibrant populations from all around the world will know that it’s never long before you have an invitation to take part in such an event. And I thought of myself as not a bad attender at those cultural celebrations, but Oscar was something different. Wherever and whenever asked to take part, whether that was making a speech or awarding a medal, he was there. And his presence was of a different significance, because he was there to demonstrate that someone who had arrived in Wales from a different continent had been able to make a successful life here, right up to representing his region in this Senedd. He will be much missed here, but he will be missed in a different way there, because in those places, his career was a symbol of something so much wider.

My second immediate recollection was of standing in the lift on the way to the Senedd, going to and from the Siambr. Did we talk about the agenda that day? Did we worry about questions that we’d asked or answered? No. As Paul Davies said, we talked always about cricket, a passion like no other. Oscar was the only other Member of the Senedd on whom I could rely to know the scores in matches from around the world, the form—or the lack of it—of key players, and the prospects of various teams, both local and national, and, of course, each time and always, to hear about the pressing need for a cricket team to represent Wales.

Llywydd, it’s the joy of democracy that it washes each one of us into the Senedd from our very different backgrounds and experiences, to represent the huge variety of Wales. Mohammad Asghar made his contribution to that diversity by combining the personal and the political, in a way that was unique to him and will be uniquely missed. Our thoughts today are, of course, with his family and his friends.  

The Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price.

Diolch, Llywydd. On behalf of Plaid Cymru, can I send our deepest condolences to Oscar’s family—to Firdaus, Natasha—and to friends and Senedd colleagues, especially on the Conservative benches? Oscar was generous and genial to his core—a political free spirit in many ways; a larger than life character who could never be contained in the confines of any one party. He belonged to all of us in different ways at different times.

Politics was never about ideology for Oscar. He was a people person par excellence, more than a conventional politician in any sense. At the centre of his world were his family. Indeed, it was because of his daughter Natasha that he first joined Plaid Cymru. Natasha had written to the various parties asking for work experience opportunities. Jocelyn Davies responded, and Natasha ended up enjoying it so much that she did an extra week. This created such an impression on her doting father that he invited Jocelyn and Ieuan Wyn Jones to his Newport home, the welcome epitomised by his trademark warmth and hospitality. As Ieuan Wyn recounts, you never left Oscar’s home without a full stomach. I was reminded of this generosity at first hand a year or two ago, when Ieuan and I were chatting in the Senedd cafe. As Ieuan walked towards the counter, Oscar rushed towards the waitress and bellowed, ‘This is on me’, insisting on buying us both a cup of tea.

The Islamic faith, as we’ve heard, was essential to Oscar—a devout Muslim and the first to sit in our Senedd. He had strong links with the wider Muslim community, and he was never happier than when creating connections, building bridges, opening doors. Thanks to Oscar, Ieuan was the first Plaid Cymru leader to address the mosque in Newport. But, Oscar was respectful of all faiths. He soon invited Ieuan back to address a Plaid meeting in Newport in a building run by the Catholic community, and when Ieuan commented on this, Oscar responded, 'Jesus is one of our prophets too.'

When it came to election time, Oscar didn't really canvass, he merely checked in with people, speaking to everyone, knowing who everyone was, as we've heard, and taking for granted that they all voted for him. To ask the question even would have been both demeaning and unnecessary. He knew Newport like the back of his hand and loved it dearly. He was so proud when we took our party conference there.

His love of his motherland also ran deep. Ieuan joined Oscar on a visit to Pakistan in 2005, visiting Islamabad and Kashmir. It would have been a stern test for Oscar if a Welsh cricket team, which he passionately campaigned for, ever faced his beloved Pakistan. Oscar was particularly close to Ieuan at that time. I've seen references to him flying Ieuan around in the 2007 campaign, making good use of his pilot's licence. As the director of the campaign, I think I wouldn't have known about this if it had happened, but I wish I'd had the idea at the time.

I remember the moment in which Oscar's face flashed up on the television as the dawn rose on the morning of 4 May 2007 as he was elected on the South Wales East list. It was an emotional moment in so many ways. That our party had secured the first black and minority ethnic Member of the Senedd was a source of pride, and I knew that his election also meant that we would be entering Government probably for the first time, though in the days and weeks ahead, there was deep debate within the party on how and, more particularly, with whom. 

Oscar had a knack of cutting through the mist and crystallising an idea in a colourful phrase. When the rainbow coalition fell through and an offer of co-operation came from the Labour Party, some wondered whether this was genuine. Quick as a flash, Oscar responded, 'If they're not going to visit, why ask for the address?' And when One Wales emerged as a real possibility, Oscar enthusiastically supported the idea, saying to Ieuan, 'If you can't be king, then you must become crown prince.'

The events of 2009 are a long time ago. We were sad to lose Oscar as a Member, obviously, but though allegiances evolve, friendships endure. Oscar belonged to all of us, firstly Labour, then Plaid, and latterly the Conservatives. We all had the pleasure of sharing his kindness and good humour. This Senedd term, as the First Minister has said, has seen some of the darkest days most of us can remember, and we will miss the light of his smile and the grace of his soul. His life was a symbol of that enduring truth: that, at a human level, the spirit that connects and binds us all is greater than every divide. 

Leader of the Brexit Party—Mark Reckless.

As a South Wales East Member, I reflect today, after Steffan and now Oscar, that two of the three Members with whom I was elected just four years ago are now dead. Oscar stood for country, the community and constituents, at least in my experience. He was born in the British empire, came to Wales, to the United Kingdom, and was a patriot, but with a nuanced understanding of our present and our past. One thing I miss about not meeting in the Chamber and physically is not being able, through an aside or casual conversation, to see what Oscar made of the events of recent weeks and to understand his particular perspective. 

When I joined the Conservative group, Oscar walked with me towards my first group meeting. He asked me did I like the Queen, I responded that, yes, I did, and he said that was good because one of the reasons he had joined the Conservatives was their support for the monarchy. It was then a little disappointing for me at the meeting that Andrew R.T. didn't start by standing and leading us in the national anthem. I think Oscar's commitment to our institutions was such that perhaps is not as fashionable now as it may have been in the past, but Oscar's belief in our country and institutions was quite extraordinary.

One incident in terms of community I recall was, we had an event with HMRC, and their new offices that they would be opening in the centre of Cardiff, and a number of Members of the then Assembly, and also the Westminster Parliament, attended. One tax inspector spoke of their approach and sensitivity and particular emphasis, sometimes, dealing with particular communities perhaps because employment was concentrated in a particular area, and I recall Oscar answering that he trusted there would be no special attention given to Muslims in Newport for there was no community that was more upright, more charitable, or more enthusiastic to pay their taxes. He then said, I think, for balance, that he hoped, also, that they were not talking about eastern European communities, many of whom had grown up under dictatorships or had seen corruption in their previous country, and like him, believed in the institutions of the British state and paying their taxes and doing their right thing.

I think Oscar was able to speak in general terms about communities and about groups in a way that many of us would shy away from. But I think he was able to do that because he only saw good in others and he would speak, always, of the positives of particular communities. I think he did not have the suspicious mind of a tax inspector, perhaps, and, as an accountant, may have represented his clients, and he could see no ill in other people, and that, I think, was a core part of his being and who he was.

Finally, I recall the particular emphasis that Oscar put on his constituents. Many of the time in questions in the Chamber, he would speak, sometimes at length and sometimes in detail, about the cases of particular constituents who had come to him. And he was not always held in reverential silence, and many of us, we are informed by our constituency cases, but we don't necessarily detail or speak about them in questions in the way he did. And he didn't always get a result, but particularly while I was a Member of the Conservative group, and particularly as a regional Member, when people would come to us when a constituency Member had not been able to assist, and many of those cases were difficult, and often we couldn't get results. But on occasion, Oscar did get results because he raised those cases in the Chamber, because he got through to the Minister, and rather than having an official deal with it, he got a Minister to give it special attention and through that, got a result for his constituents. They were fortunate to have him. Our condolences go to his family, to Firdaus and to Natasha. Oscar, we will all miss you. Rest in peace.

This is indeed another sad day in the history of this Senedd. Oh, what can I say about my friend Mohammad Asghar? It's hard to believe that he's gone.

I first got to know Oscar properly on the Finance Committee—on a trip, actually, a visit to Sweden back in around 2009, I think it was. We bonded over a cup of tea in a hotel lobby. Oscar loved his tea. In fact, he drank copious amounts of it most of the time, as many of you will remember from breaks from business spent with him in the Members' tea room, when a large pot of tea would be ordered, would be constantly kept filled, and the stories would flow, along with the contents of the pot.

Oscar had led a full and interesting life. Born in Peshawar in what was then British India in 1945, his first memories were of partition, and his memories of the upheaval and unrest that ensued stayed with him all his life and were key to forming his views later in life. He thought partition was a mistake; he thought people should always do their best to find common ground. 'We should always focus on what unites us rather than what divides us'—Oscar constantly told me that.

Over the years, he became a personal friend, he became a family friend, and his joy when Jen and I got engaged and married, and later on, when our son James came along, knew no bounds. I often felt that I was talking to a parent or a father, rather than a friend when I spoke to Oscar. When we got married, he even offered to drive the wedding car, and I think he would have flown me to the church, if I'd wanted him to.

This brings me on to some lesser known facts about Oscar's life. They include him carrying the Olympic torch across India in advance of the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. I didn't quite believe it until he produced a very old black-and-white photo of a younger Oscar proudly holding the torch. He had a pilot's licence, as others have mentioned. He once told me that his brothers were in the Pakistan air force. Anyone who visited Oscar and Firdaus's home in Newport could not help but notice and have to find their way around an enormous model of Concorde that took pride of place in his living room. He loved flying. He hadn't followed his family into that professionally, his life would take a different route, it would bring him to Wales, it would bring him into politics.

Oscar was proud to be a Member of this Senedd, and as an accountant, he took his role on the Public Accounts Committee very seriously. In fact, he was one of its longest serving Members, and he'll be sorely missed by myself as Chair, the members of the committee and the rest of the clerking team.

A man of faith, Oscar was a proud British Muslim who loved and respected all faiths, and they respected him. He was particularly close to Ahmadiyya Muslims and when I asked him why that was, he once told me how, when he was born, his mother had been unwell and had been unable to care for him, and an Ahmadiyyan mother had stepped in and cared for him in those first few days when she was unable to. It was an act of love that he never forgot, and throughout his life, he always supported Ahmadiyyans. That was something about Oscar—he always remembered a good turn, and he always paid it back in heaps.

It was mentioned by Mark Reckless, I think, that he was a proud royalist, and he was. I remember at the official opening of the Assembly in 2007, he was very eager to meet the Queen, and when he did, it was quite clear that he'd met her before, and as they were talking to each other, it became clear that she certainly recognised him and knew him. He had a reach across society. He could speak to people of all walks of life; he got on with them, and they got on with him. 

Today is a difficult day for all of us who knew Oscar and considered him to be a friend, and a close friend. It is, of course, especially difficult for Firdaus, Natasha and his family, and our thoughts are with them particularly today. The Ahmadiyya Muslims have a saying, 'Love for all, hatred for none.' As we remember our colleague and friend Mohammad Asghar, let us remember that saying too. Let us always build on what unites us, rather than what divides us, and let that be Oscar's legacy.

I first met Oscar when he entered front-line politics in Newport as the Newport city councillor for the Victoria ward, quite some years ago now. At that time, he really blazed a trail as a Muslim councillor, and, thankfully, since then, other members of the community have followed his example. I have no doubt that his presence, his visibility on the authority were instrumental in those other members of the local ethnic minority communities' understanding that they too could represent Newport on the city council. It encouraged them to get involved in front-line politics in different parties, and it's so good to see the diversity of representation that we have on Newport City Council today. I know many of them would recognise the debt of gratitude that they owe to Oscar in those terms.

Of course, as an Assembly Member and a Member of the Senedd, Oscar again showed members of our ethnic minority communities in Wales that they could aspire to representation and representative politics in our Assembly at that level, in our Parliament, as it now is. Whenever I saw Oscar at local events in Newport, he would raise issues of importance to our diverse communities. He was very consistent in that. Obviously, he was interested in lots of other matters as well, but he was always conscious of his role as understanding those communities, his continuing relationship and links with them, and the responsibility in particular that it gave him to understand those matters and to raise them whenever possible and appropriate. He never shied away from that responsibility.

But he was also very keen on international links, not just with Pakistan, but worldwide. He would often discuss with me how we forged those links locally as well as at a Wales level. When I had an involvement with the Assembly branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Oscar was always keen to understand the business that we were involved in at any particular time, and to put forward ideas as to how we could widen the role that we were playing and the links that we were forging, and the international aspects of Wales and the Assembly in general.

But in terms of lobbying conversations with Oscar, as others have mentioned, I well remember his passion for cricket, because when I was Minister for sport I was incessantly lobbied by Oscar about Wales having its own cricket side, and all the advantages that that would bring, and when I pointed out some of the potential difficulties, he wasn't really alive to those at all—he was so passionate about cricket and Wales forging a more distinctive identity. In fact, Oscar played for our Assembly cricket team, because we did play a few matches over the years, and we played one, in fact, at Sophia Gardens, and Oscar took part. I think he bowled leg spin, as I recall, and he was certainly a keen bowler, and he was keen to regale me of his cricketing exploits in younger years, when his abilities were even greater than they were on that occasion at Sophia Gardens.

So, I think, again, as others have said, we remember Oscar as a real character. He was a Labour Party member at one stage. He went to other political parties. In some ways he perhaps was bigger than membership of any political family. He was a real character, but I know that, in whatever party Oscar was at a particular time, he was very, very proud as a front-line political representative, both on Newport City Council and in the Assembly and then Senedd. Our thoughts are very much with his family on this very sad day.

The sun was beating down on a group of us who had gone to visit Israel and Palestine, and we were standing on the roof of the Austrian Hospice in Jerusalem, and I was chatting to Oscar and he waved his arms around, as he often did, and he said, 'Look, Angie—there is Temple Mount and Al-Aqsa Mosque, and over there the Holy Sepulchre, and there's the Western Wall and the Mount of Olives. We are all here. We can live together.' We spoke some more, but I tell this story to illustrate what I felt was the very essence of Oscar. He had an enormous love for humanity, and a particular love for his wife Firdaus and daughter Natasha. By the time we finished our trip, it was Oscar who knew the names of the drivers and the bellhops, where they lived and their family stories. Whether he was talking to an ambassador or a street seller, he was interested in them, and they knew it, they sensed it. Because Oscar always sought to bring people together. He was passionate about bridging the gaps between Pakistan and India, about bringing Muslims and Christians and Jews together, about uniting people with faith and people with no faith. He was funny and warm, hugely politically incorrect at times, and he loved his country and his countries. He was incredibly proud to be Welsh and British, to be a Muslim, a husband and a father. He had belief and charisma. He could be excitable and voluble, but also considered and, above all, immensely, immensely kind. He was a laughing, smiley, proud and devout man; a buyer, as Nick has already said, of endless cups of tea for all; a fount of ideas, from the great to the truly terrible; and an arch-negotiator. In Brussels, he took on a very frosty lady who was selling the most divine dresses for little girls, all handmade and beautifully embroidered. As we browsed the streets, he told me in no uncertain terms that my girls should have these. 'Not a chance', I said. They were eye-wateringly expensive and Madame was regarding us with a lot of eye-rolling and impatient looks. Needless to say, Oscar totally charmed her, and I walked out with two divine dresses, which were no longer eye-wateringly expensive and which, having been worn for a number of summers, have joined other treasures in an old camphor wood box at home.

In this world of ours, you must ask yourself: are you going to curse the darkness or light a candle? And Oscar lit candles everywhere he went. His light continues to shine, and to Firdaus and Natasha, I simply say, if love is measured in inches, you are standing on the tallest of mountains, and I'm so sorry for your loss. May peace be with you. 

A conspicuous blue plaque on the wall of an unassuming property in Newport reads as follows: 'Mohammad Asghar, born 30 September 1945, Member of Welsh Assembly, accountant and pilot, resides since 1994.' And those who have visited the Asghar family home would soon find that Oscar was all of those things described on that plaque but also a whole lot more.

He was a devoted husband to Firdaus, and a loving father to his daughter, Natasha, both of whom he loved dearly and spoke of so very, very often. He was a man of great faith, generosity and integrity. And he was, if it's possible to be this, a perfect embodiment of the Commonwealth. He was the most loyal subject Her Majesty the Queen could ever have hoped for.

'Mr Asghar' to some, 'Oscar' or 'Uncle Oscar' to others, and to me a true friend and a precious colleague. From the moment that we enjoyed our first curry together during discussions about his joining the Welsh Conservatives, we hit it off and over the 13 years that I knew Oscar, we never had a cross word, which, as those of you who know me will testify, is quite an achievement. We enjoyed many a heart to heart on matters of faith, family and politics. We travelled together, we shared meals together and we laughed a lot together.

As is the case for other Members of this Parliament, some of my fondest memories of Oscar were during the Welsh Conservatives' visit to the Holy Land. There was no greater supporter of Israel and an advocate of peace in the middle east than Oscar. While we were both from different faith traditions, Oscar and I prayed together for the peace of Jerusalem at the Western Wall and we also prayed for one another's families as we sat, arm in arm and with tears in our eyes, in St Peter's Church, set amongst the ruins of the biblical town of Capernaum, on the shores of Lake Galilee.

During that trip, we also visited the modern Palestinian town of Rawabi, the brainchild of the famous Palestinian entrepreneur Bashar Masri. The group had arranged to meet Bashar in a posh cafe, and the meeting was chaired by Oscar. He did an excellent job, it all went incredibly well, and after the meeting, we all strolled back to the minibus, which was waiting to whisk us on to our next appointment. But, just as we were about to leave, we noticed that someone was missing. And after a roll call, we realised that it was, as is often the case, Mark Isherwood. Oscar looked at me with a hint of concern on his face, 'Where is he?', he asked. I responded, 'He's probably explaining the intricacies of the Barnett formula and the fiscal framework for Wales to the Arabic waiter, Oscar.' At which, Oscar fell about in uncontrollable laughter to the extent that he looked like a laughing policeman on the promenade in a Welsh seaside resort. 

His laughter, of course, was infectious and by the time that Mark Isherwood finally arrived at the minibus, we were all wiping the tears from our eyes. And that's the Mohammad Asghar, that's the Oscar, that's the friend and colleague who I will always remember. So, colleagues, that blue plaque on that little house in Newport doesn't do the Oscar that we all knew any justice at all. Let's hope that, at a future date, there will be some more suitable, permanent reminder in a prominent public place of this great man and the enormous contribution that he's made to Welsh public life.

Oscar was always very warm. On my first day in the Senedd, I was walking with the Llywydd and we bumped into the Conservative group. Everyone shook my hand, but Oscar came right across to me and gave me a hug. He worked closely, of course, with two of my predecessors, with Steffan Lewis, who worked in his office, and with Jocelyn Davies, who was a fellow regional AM with Oscar. Last night, Jocelyn told me a few stories I'd like to share with you. 

In the 2007 count, Jocelyn and Oscar had gone up to the stage together to be announced as duly elected. The British National Party, pathetic as they are, had waited in the room for hours in order to walk out at the moment that Oscar's name was announced. Oscar smiled through it, and Jocelyn said that hugging him as the BNP crawled away felt like a little victory over prejudice and hatred.

As has already been said, Oscar was committed to his faith, and Jocelyn told me about another time that Dai Lloyd and Cynog Dafis were going to address the Newport mosque at the invitation of Oscar and Jocelyn. They all turned up on a Friday afternoon, and at that moment Oscar dropped the bombshell that only the men would be allowed into the mosque, and Jocelyn asked, 'Well, where will I be?', to which Oscar replied, 'In my heart'. As Jocelyn said last night, he even managed to take the sting out of that, and I understand that he actually persuaded the mosque to let her in as well.

Oscar wasn't with Plaid for long, but he served the people of South Wales East with dedication, always with his own ideas and with enthusiasm. In politics, as in life, it doesn't do to harbour bitterness. In 2016, at the count when Oscar was announced as being elected, this time, of course, as a Conservative Member, he still went up to Jocelyn and said, 'Thank you, boss.' 

I'll close with the traditional saying of Muslims on hearing the tidings of somebody's death, 'Verily we belong to God, and verily to Him do we return.'

Hearing the news yesterday that Oscar had passed away was like a bolt out of the blue. As someone who came into the Assembly at the same time that Oscar did in 2007, I believe our political journeys certainly have been intertwined ever since. Having been the leader for seven years of the period that we were together in the Assembly, the comments that Adam Price talked of him being a free spirit politically was something that used to always send me somewhat twitchy in the Chamber, because very often I'd be sitting in front of him, and you'd always know when Oscar was going off on one when he said, 'What it is—', and then all of a sudden, for three or four minutes, we would get Oscar's political philosophy, which invariably was embedded in his passion and commitment to improve people's lives.

Oscar, like myself, could massacre the English language—let's be realistic about that—and I'm as guilty as anyone who does that to the English language. But what Oscar had in bucketloads was a passion and a commitment to public service. He believed in improving people's lives, he believed in using his own experiences through life, as we've heard in the testimony today from other Members, from partition in India right the way through to running businesses, to supporting people in their faith and in their hour of need, and trying to bridge the divide between political groups and religious groups. Oscar was the epitome of a good, decent public servant. 

I'd hazard a guess that—hopefully, when we get back—social distancing might have been a challenge for Oscar, because he was one of those people who really did want to put his arms around you in a positive way, whether you were down and you needed an uplift, or whether it was just a sort of genuine emotion for something you had done. I really, really do feel for both Natasha and Firdaus today, and for the coming days. To lose someone so special and so integral to your family is a bitter, bitter blow. But what I passionately hope is that, in the coming days, weeks and months, the sunshine of the many happy and pleasant memories that you will have of him will comfort you in those dark hours, because, like us as Members, we too will take great comfort from being able to say we were friends, colleagues and fellow participants in the Assembly of Mohammad Asghar. And I regard it as being a great pleasure and a privilege to have served my time in the Assembly and been able to call Mohammad Asghar not just a political colleague, but a friend. 

It's with sadness that I speak today following the news of the death of Mohammad Asghar. My sincere condolences and love go to his beloved wife and daughter, to whom he was devoted, and his extended family and friends. Oscar was very proud to represent south-east Wales in the Senedd, and was keen to work across political divides with others for the benefit of the communities that he represented. He was a passionate advocate of community cohesion, encouraging young people, and not forgetting, as has been said, a Welsh cricket team. 

I remember, a few years ago, myself, Oscar, and John Griffiths were at an event with Newport Youth Council. Oscar talked about the challenges he had faced and his diverse experiences, from near- professional cricketer, to pilot, to accountant, to politician, amongst others. He told all those young people that the world was their oyster, that there was nothing that they couldn't do. He was always friendly, respectful and proud, always quick to find the funny side of things and make people feel at ease. He will be missed by many friends here, in Newport, and across south-east Wales. 

Everybody gets their bad days, but Oscar wasn't really one to let you get away with it if you were feeling down. In fact, I kind of wish he was here today, really, because we could do with his help getting through one of our worst days, I think. Every morning, when we had Plenary, we'd meet by the lift and I'd always get some sort of greeting or a cwtch, or an endearing nickname, and that smile that you just couldn't—you couldn't resist it, could you, really? We all know what it felt like. And it just displayed that generosity that so many people have already talked about today.

But, beyond that generosity, he had a very strong sense of due gratitude as well. And I remember, on that trip to Israel that others have spoken of, that we stopped at a restaurant that was run by a Druze family, and, on this occasion, it was Oscar, actually, who was late to the minibus, not Mark, and the reason for that is that he'd stopped at a stall just outside the restaurant, which was run by an elderly lady, and it was full of very bedraggled plants and some honey that the old lady's bees had made. And he was determined to have that honey, not just to thank his hosts, because this lady was a member of that family, but to honour the old woman's craft.

He found other people's faiths, as we've heard from others today, completely fascinating, and his determination to bring people of different beliefs and different practices together was a genuine and proper passion. And as I've been trying to understand more myself about Muslim beliefs and differences between different communities, Oscar was always very, very happy to talk to me and share his knowledge. And it was so clear how important his own faith was to him, and, as I learned more about what matters in Muslim life, I learned more about Oscar, I think—how much it impacted everything he thought about. And, of course, we've heard so much about his love for his wife and his daughter, and that comes not just from his natural personality, but from the values, the benign values, that he held and displayed wherever he went, really. 

And if I want to think about him at his most joyful and his most excited, and his most moved, I think, I just want to go back to that day that we all had in Jerusalem that Angela had mentioned, because, earlier in that day, we'd been to Yad Vashem, and Oscar had been with us at a ceremony at the eternal flame there. But he then disappeared for some hours, and we wondered where he'd all got to. Anyway, he came back to us, and we'd heard that he'd been to Al-Aqsa at Haram al-Sharif, Temple Mount, which of course is one of Islam's holiest places. And the joy in his face when he came back, well, he was sharing with us—those of you who were there will remember it. How he managed to get in there is one of Oscar's magic stories, of course. But that day does remind me that today we're not just saying goodbye to our Oscar, to our Uncle Oscar, but to Mohammad, who was a friend to humankind.

Neil McEvoy. Neil McEvoy—the microphone. Thank you.

Thanks, Llywydd. Diolch, Llywydd. Very shocking news yesterday—I don't think we can fail to be moved by the contributions. I'd like to wish Oscar's family, friends, his staff and Conservative colleagues condolences from everybody in the Welsh National Party. Oscar—I'll smile now, because he always made me smile—I first met him before 2007; 2004 I think it was. We did a lot of work together on setting up an equality section, and he was extremely helpful; we went to his office in Newport, we worked together, went through lists. He was clearly very well respected in his community, and it was a real pleasure to work with him.

He left Plaid Cymru and joined the Conservatives, and that didn't change anything at all—nothing at all. Every time I saw him, he spoke, we'd always have a joke, which would be lovely. One of the benefits of moving across the Chamber was to be sat near Oscar, because, every single day, he would go past and there would be some joke to share, and he always spoke, and not everybody does that. And he was such a genuine, genuine man. We would sometimes go to more private areas and just discuss matters, really, shared experiences, his experience in the Senedd. And I think more should really have been made, and should be made, of the fact that he was the first person of colour elected to the Welsh Parliament—the Senedd. Everyone's mentioned his passion for cricket and sports, but what I'll carry with me—and all of us will, really—is Oscar, Oscar the man. And may he rest in peace.

I am extremely saddened and, indeed, shocked by the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Oscar. The pain and grief Firdaus and Natasha now face on the loss of such a wonderful man is unimaginable. However, please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Now, I sat next to Oscar in the Chamber, and there was never a dull moment. I will always remember his participation in the many speeches, such as only last week, in which he so enthusiastically contributed. There were his many other heartfelt contributions, especially at our Welsh Conservative Party conferences, where he always stood up and spoke up loud and proud for Wales, the United Kingdom, its people and our Queen.

Now, throughout this lockdown period, he has kept me smiling on social media. He has clapped for carers. He taught us how to make Dalgona coffee and his special breakfast. He showed us his morning exercise routine, and he learned British Sign Language. Earlier this month, however, he shared an important message, that racism should end. Thank you, Oscar. You will never be forgotten. Keep smiling; you leave a legacy behind that we should all be proud to follow. Diolch.

I was elected at the same time as Oscar, as two regional Members, back in 2007. And, of course, we meet each other as we go about our business in the Chamber and in the Senedd, but you get to know each other on the committee work and when you visit places and understand what your work is. Like Nick Ramsay, I first got to know Oscar on the Finance Committee and on a visit to Sweden, where he shocked me with his generosity. But also he left me completely floundering, asking a whole series of questions—which, of course, came from his knowledge and his background—where I understood neither the questions nor the answers. And he had a commitment to hard work, to making sure that people knew that he had that commitment to standing up for people, to representing people and to understand what we were seeking to do.

Angela Burns was kind enough to circulate this morning a photograph taken a few years ago of those of us who were elected in 2007, and there's a lovely image of Oscar there, standing with that lovely smile right in the centre of the photograph. I'm grateful to Angela for circulating that again.

And when we think of Oscar, we think of that kindness, we think of his faith and we think of his love for his family. But kindness is often unspoken and unseen. He was the first person to contact me when I lost my mother earlier this year; when I returned from hospital after an illness a few months ago, there was a card, a 'Get well' card, waiting for me—unseen acts of generosity and kindness. Oscar understood the humanity of politics and the humanity of what we do. There isn't a single one of us who hasn't stood at a door, arguing with Oscar about who would go through first. There isn't a single one of us who hasn't stood in the tea room, as Oscar bought not just a cup of tea, but also a cake and whatever else we might wish to have there. And there isn't a single one of us who hasn't been touched by his care and his concern for not only the people we represent, but the people we don't know. And that's something that is really going to stay with me.

And Oscar's faith was important to him. Darren Millar has spoken about the way in which Oscar was always wanting to be a bridge—a bridge between peoples, a bridge between different faiths and a bridge between different communities. I remember, and I recognise, the work that he has done seeking to create bridges between communities in Wales—seeking to create bridges across the middle east and elsewhere. That warmth and generosity of spirit was something that was a part of him. And through it all, there was the family—there was Firdaus and Natasha. I remember his pride when Natasha contested Blaenau Gwent and I remember the shining eyes and the smile whenever he spoke about his family. 

So, when we remember Oscar, we will remember his kindness; we will remember that warmth, that generosity. We will remember that deep faith and we will remember him as a bridge. I hear many people who talk about kindness, but it was Oscar who lived it and Oscar who embodied it.

I remember, the first week I was elected to the Senedd, Oscar taking a number of new Members out for dinner and insisting that he must pay. And that's when I first got to really know Oscar, and those of us in the tea room will so often remember that phrase, 'This is on me', in the tea room. Oscar was just such a generous man in his words and in his deeds.

What I do recall about Oscar so often is the big slap on the back that he would give me. He used to give me an extra big slap on the back somehow when he would walk past me in the corridor or as I walked into the Chamber, but, so often, it was when I was walking from the kitchen on the third floor back to my office with a cup of tea in my hand, and the end of that story I don't need to tell.

But Oscar will so, so be missed, and of course he'll also be missed on our committee, the committee that I'm privileged to chair, here in the Senedd. Oscar will be sorely, sorely missed. He was just such a generous person, and my thoughts, of course, to Firdaus and Natasha above all. But you will be sorely missed, Oscar. Diolch, Llywydd.

With the news of Oscar's passing yesterday, my love is with his wife, Firdaus; Natasha, his daughter; all his extended family and friends; his friends in the Conservative group and all other friends. 

I met Oscar and Natasha in 2011, and we saw each other on several occasions prior to my election in 2016. Oscar immediately congratulated me, warmly welcomed me to the Senedd, reaching out the hand of friendship, as he did to all he met. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we would often meet in the tea room, and it became a routine for us to buy each other lunch and sit together having tea. We talked about our families and he was immensely proud of his daughter, Natasha. A proud family man.

We soon discovered that we both liked visiting market stalls, looking for second-hand jewellery, trinkets and antiques. And when either of us had a good deal, we brought items in to compare, and he loved a bargain, as did I. If we fancied an item that the other had, we sold it to one another. On one occasion, such was Oscar's honesty and integrity, when a stall holder offered him a weighty silver trinket for £30, Oscar immediately inspected the hallmark and, to the surprise of the stall holder, he said, 'My friend, I would love to give you £30 for this, but I think the correct price should be £200, as it's platinum, not silver.' He brought that trinket proudly in to show me and explained the story.

Oscar served his constituents with the love, compassion and generosity that he showed to everyone he met. He was dedicated to his role, and found much comfort and support from his Conservative colleagues, as he told me on several occasions.

I have lost a friend in the tea room and, somehow, it will not have the same feeling. We had planned to visit Abergavenny market together, and I am sad that that visit will now be alone. But I'm sure that if I stop at a stall, with a view of purchasing anything there, there will be a voice behind me saying, 'No, Caroline, don't pick that one, pick the one next to it, because you'll have a much better deal.' 

Rest in peace, my friend, because you made so many lives better for knowing you. Division was not in your vocabulary and you treated all the same. Thank you.

As a devout Muslim, Oscar was a man of tolerance, compassion, inclusion. An example to people of all faiths and all beliefs, and we all know that because we all experienced that first-hand. He was quietly proud, as we heard, to have carried the Olympic torch, to be a multilinguist. And, even adding new languages, as we heard, in the last weeks of his life, to his vocabulary. He was quietly proud to have qualified as an accountant, as a pilot, to run a successful business, to help people in the community, to become a local and then a national politician. We've heard that he was also a proud monarchist and unionist, but he was also an internationalist. And I know, sitting next to him in the Chamber, that on his screen, if he wasn't watching or following BBC live Welsh or UK news, he was following Pakistani or Indian news or, more importantly, of course, the international cricket scores.

I will miss sitting next to him, his hand on my arm every time he had something to say or wanted to raise a point quietly with me. I'll miss the mints that he used to pass to myself and Janet, on his other side. And I'll miss the ritual, at the close of every Plenary session, when he would ask me what engagements I had that night and, if we'd finished early, he would often try to attend those. If we finished late, he would always apologise and explain that he had to drive back to Newport and his family. So, my thoughts are with Firdaus and Natasha, but so are those of my wife, Hilary, who they know, and my family, including Charlotte, our daughter, who they know. At this time of dreadful loss it's hard to believe that a person with such a spark of life isn't with us any longer, but I know that spark hasn't gone out, it's just moved on. May Allah be with you all.

Thank you for this valuable opportunity to pay tribute to Mohammad Asghar. It is a very sad day, with the horrifically sudden news that emerged yesterday of the death of Oscar.

I recall another day back in 2007 very clearly, when Oscar was elected to the same benches as me in the third Assembly. He was a conscientious member of our group in that Assembly, and as chair of that group, I always appreciated his contribution to our proceedings.

We remember many stories, and many of those stories have been told here this afternoon. But today is a very sad day, and we send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mohammad Asghar today. Rest in peace, Oscar.

I'm speaking today as chair of the Labour group, and in doing so I speak on behalf of all Labour Members, many of whom who've served with Oscar for the last 13 years. Many worked closely with him in a range of settings over that time.

Oscar, as everyone has alluded to, was always jovial, and although he was a robust debater inside the Senedd Chamber, he was never a partisan figure outside of it. This is something that has really come through in the outpouring of tributes to Oscar today. He would stop to talk to everyone, be that Senedd staff, Members of all parties, support staff—everyone. He was someone who was genuinely interested in people and unfailingly courteous. We will all be feeling his loss and his friendly manner greatly.

Oscar was always incredibly proud of his family, and I want to express my sympathy and that of the entire Labour group to his wife, Firdaus, and his daughter, Natasha. You meant so much to Oscar, and it was impossible to have a conversation with him without him mentioning both of you. He was a real family man, and you were the pride and joy of his life. Oscar was, as many tributes have said, much loved, but by you both most of all.

For me, personally, it was a pleasure to have worked alongside Oscar on both the economy and the public accounts committees. Both were areas where he had a real interest, and he brought a formidable expertise to bear on the subjects that we covered. It was a fantastic experience to be on a committee visit in particular with Oscar, because, regardless of where you were going or the topic in question, Oscar just loved getting out and about and meeting people, and talking to them about the work that they were doing. And I think it's safe to say that he had a particular soft spot for Cardiff Airport and loved visiting there. But wherever we went, he would engage with everyone that he met, brimming with interest and enthusiasm as he posed questions about their roles and opinions to contribute to our work.

Oscar was a real character, and I hope that I've managed to encapsulate something of that in my contribution today. He was a trailblazer, who stood as a symbol of a more diverse, more modern Wales—something to which previous speakers have alluded, but something which all of us need to work together to achieve. Oscar can be proud of all that he achieved, and he will be missed by us all.

Finally, David Melding.

Llywydd, we've heard that our dear friend, Oscar, had a very eclectic approach to public life, and a great ability to live with political paradox. And above all, he was a generous man. We've heard so many tributes to his generosity. So many indeed that I fear our caterers' stock on the stock market is likely to slide unless they find another champion customer very quickly.

The other thing that we've heard repeatedly this afternoon is the word 'tolerance'. For Oscar, tolerance did not mean indifference; it meant affection and understanding, and he brought that to inter-faith dialogue in a most remarkable way. I remember him taking me to the Sikh temple in Splott and talking about the value and the wonder of the Sikh tradition, and their particular reverence and way of approaching the divine, and that just summed up Oscar's spirit and humanity for me.

He also had a great love of the best British traditions, above all the Crown and cricket. He thought these belonged to the whole Commonwealth and they were not merely British treasures. The way he talked about them was just a wonder to behold. We're marking the sad passing of a dear friend who has left us with so many happy memories and an inspiring way to approach life in all its variety and wonder, and in this time of deep sorrow we remember his family, particularly his widow, Firdaus, and daughter, Natasha. May they be comforted by the contribution he has made to Wales and, indeed, to further the spirit of generosity and tolerance worldwide.

Thank you to you all.

The warm and thoughtful tributes paid by Members of all parties today serve as testament to how our friend and colleague, Mohammad Asghar, earned respect from all corners of the Senedd. Thank you all for sharing your memories of our friend, Oscar. I, like all of you, am deeply saddened by the loss of such a great character, who always brought life to Senedd proceedings with his heartfelt contributions.

I first heard of Oscar before I met him. It must have been around 2005: a farmers' public meeting had been held in Lampeter and a Muslim Plaid Cymru member from South Wales had come to talk to Ceredigion farmers about legalising the trade in smokies. The farmers were talking about the meeting in the local marts for weeks. He'd made an impression. It had been both a culture shock and a meeting of minds. I met Oscar soon after that and got to learn much more about smokies.

Oscar was an internationalist, and made the most of opportunities to build bridges with other countries, faiths and cultures and to promote Wales on the world stage. The Commonwealth was an integral part of Oscar's roots and identity, and he was a strong supporter of Wales's place within its wider family. He was always pleased to represent his group and the Senedd on the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Indeed, over this past decade, Oscar served on our CPA executive committee longer than any other Member, during which time he proudly and diligently represented our Welsh Parliament at numerous high-profile international conferences.

It is fitting that Oscar's last contribution in the Senedd focused on an issue that he had promoted for so many years: nurturing economic enterprise and skills in the workplace. Fluent in four languages, I think Oscar may have been the Senedd's most multilinguist. No wonder, therefore, that he could speak to us all in his own way, a friend to Members of all parties and a valued ally for many causes and campaigns, from legalising smokies to a national cricket team, from entrepreneurialism to internationalism.

As I sit here on my sofa in Aberaeron, looking at Oscar's fellow Senedd Members on my Zoom screen, I keep being drawn to look to my right, as I would in the Chamber, to the Conservative backbench and to an empty chair, a chair, a Parliamentary seat that Mohammad Asghar filled with such pride and passion. When we return to our Chamber, Mohammad Asghar will not be with us, but his generous spirit and his tolerant world view will help guide us all through these troubling times. 

In the spirit of Paul Davies's fine words today: today, Oscar, your Senedd gives you and your family a big virtual cwtsh, as you cwtshed so many of us over the years. Diolch, Oscar, and my condolences, on behalf of us all, are with Firdaus and Natasha and all your family, who I know were so very dear to you.

That draws to a close our session of tributes. Thank you all for your contributions. For members of the public who are watching this broadcast, it will be possible to share your thoughts and memories of Mohammad Asghar on our online book of condolences.

Members will also know that we have changed today's business out of respect to Oscar's family, but, as Oscar and all parliamentarians would understand, we have parliamentary and coronavirus-related business to undertake and we will move to do so now. I understand, of course, that some Members may now wish to leave and you may now want to turn off your cameras.