Lee Hsien Loong to attend state funeral of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

SINGAPORE: Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong will attend the state funeral of former Malaysian prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on April 15 in Kuala Lumpur, said the Singapore Prime Minister’s Office.

SM Lee will be accompanied by his wife Ho Ching and officials from Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Tun Abdullah died on April 14, aged 85, having suffered from dementia in the last few years. He died at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur.

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

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Abdullah was a respected leader who helped Asean stand tall in the world. He added that Singapore was fortunate to count Abdullah as a friend, and under his leadership of Malaysia, both countries deepened cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

PM Wong cited the example of the development of Iskandar Malaysia, a special economic zone in Johor established in 2006, as one of the areas that contributed to laying the strong foundation for both countries’ excellent ties today.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said on April 14 that Abdullah was a distinguished leader and served in Malaysia’s Cabinet for many years, while also working closely with Singapore.

Before taking Malaysia’s premiership, Abdullah had also headed the country’s education, defence and foreign affairs ministries.

Dr Balakrishnan recalled attending the first Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat in Langkawi in 2007, held by SM Lee and Abdullah, then as their countries’ respective prime ministers.

The retreat has become a regular platform for both leaders to discuss important bilateral issues and strengthen Asean’s position, said Balakrishnan.

Abdullah leaves his wife Jeanne Abdullah and two children – Nori and Tan Sri Kamaluddin – from his first wife Endon Mahmood, who died of breast cancer in 2005. He also had two stepchildren, Nadiah Kimie and Nadene Kimie, from Tun Jeanne’s previous marriage.

His son-in-law, former Malaysian health minister Khairy Jamaluddin, said members of the public may pay their last respects to Abdullah from 11am to 1pm on April 15 as he lies in state at the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, before being laid to rest at the Heroes’ Mausoleum at the same mosque. – The Straits Times/ANN