Former Malaysian PM Abdullah laid to rest after thousands pay their respects

KUALA LUMPUR - Former Malaysian prime minister Abdullah Badawi was laid to rest at Makam Pahlawan (Heroes’ Mausoleum) on April 15, after thousands of mourners earlier descended on the National Mosque to pay their last respects.

Among the dignitaries present were Singapore’s Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Mrs Lee, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Cabinet ministers, along with former premiers Mahathir Mohamad, Najib Razak, Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob, also paid their respects.

The ruler of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, arrived just before noon to pay his respects. Sultan Mizan had served as the 13th Malaysian King during Tun Abdullah’s tenure as prime minister.

Mr Abdullah was the fifth Malaysian national leader to be interred at the mausoleum in Kuala Lumpur. Other leaders buried there were former premiers Abdul Razak Hussein and Hussein Onn, as well as former deputy prime ministers Ismail Abdul Rahman and Abdul Ghafar Baba.

Mr Abdullah, 85,

died on April 14 at around 7.10pm

at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur. He had suffered from dementia in the last few years.

Fondly known as “Pak Lah”, he was Malaysia’s fifth prime minister from October 2003 to April 2009, a period that overlapped most with SM Lee’s tenure as Singapore’s prime minister.

SM Lee said in his Facebook post on April 15 that he knew Pak Lah before they became prime ministers of Singapore and Malaysia, respectively.

“He served his country with great dedication, working tirelessly to tackle Malaysia’s challenges and uplift the lives of Malaysians,” said SM Lee.

“It was a great privilege for me to have known Pak Lah, and shared many warm conversations with him over the years.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has written to Datuk Seri Anwar, and the spouse of Mr Abdullah, Tun Jeanne Abdullah, to convey his condolences.

In his letter to Mr Anwar, PM Wong said that as prime minister, Mr Abdullah had “elevated Asean’s international standing and defended regionalism at a time of great change in the global community”.

Mr Abdullah also deepened bilateral cooperation, PM Wong said, including the development of Iskandar Malaysia, “which Singapore has strongly supported since its inception”.

Singapore and Malaysia also made good progress on longstanding bilateral issues during Mr Abdullah’s tenure, PM Wong said, including the agreement by both countries to abide by the ruling of the International Court of Justice on the sovereignty of Pedra Branca and Middle Rocks.

“Despite the difficulties, Tun Abdullah always engaged us constructively, often defusing tense moments with his congenial personality,” the letter to Mr Anwar said.

In the letter to Ms Jeanne Abdullah, PM Wong said: “Tun Abdullah was a friend of Singapore’s who played an instrumental role towards our countries’ progress on several bilateral issues. He was amiable but firm, and willing to take discussions forward in the spirit of constructive cooperation and mutual support. We owe a debt of gratitude to Tun Abdullah for his friendship over the years.”

The letter concluded: “My deepest sympathies to you and your family. I wish you strength and comfort in this difficult time.”

The contents of the April 14 letters were released by Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.