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, 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 and Muhyiddin Yassin, 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.

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

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."

Najib, who is serving a prison sentence, was escorted by Malaysian police. He earlier received permission from the High Court to leave prison temporarily to attend the funeral.

Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo told the media that he remembers Abdullah mostly for his patience and ability to listen to all sides of the argument before making a decision.

"He is definitely someone who inspires, and his contributions will be remembered," said Gobind.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.