PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived at the National Mosque today to pay his final respects to the late Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who passed away at the age of 85.
Anwar was accompanied by the Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Seri Zambri Abdul Kadir, and the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, with the delegation arriving around 1pm.
Also in attendance were Deputy Prime Ministers Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, along with several members of the Cabinet. Among them were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan; Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said; and Minister of Communications, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
Other dignitaries who paid their respects included Minister of Plantation and Commodities, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, and Minister of Health, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefli Ahmad.
Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was also present, along with senior opposition leaders including Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
The final tribute session for Tun Abdullah took place from 10am until 1pm, as Malaysians from all walks of life gathered in person and online to express their grief and gratitude.
Tun Abdullah, affectionately known as “Pak Lah,” served as Malaysia’s fifth Prime Minister from 2003 to 2009. Across social media, Malaysians shared heartfelt messages, honouring the statesman’s legacy of calm leadership and policy reforms.
Historian and geopolitical writer Ayman Rashdan Wong described the late leader as composed, diplomatic, and wise.
“One of the most genius moves during his administration was organising the inaugural East Asia Summit (EAS) when Malaysia chaired ASEAN in 2005,” Ayman wrote in a Facebook post.
“EAS brought together ASEAN, China, Japan, and South Korea—three East Asian powers often in tension—but who managed to sit at the same table through the EAS,” he noted.
He added that the summit, which now includes the United States, Australia, India, New Zealand, and Russia, laid the foundation for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s largest trade bloc.
“With the EAS, ASEAN ceased to be merely a Southeast Asian bloc. It began to represent East Asia, the Asia-Pacific, and the Indo-Pacific,” Ayman said.
On platform X, user Thevesh remarked that Malaysia had lost a great democratic figure and expressed appreciation for his contributions.
“Pak Lah won eight consecutive General Elections from GE5 (1978) to GE12 (2008), all in Kepala Batas, Penang. I believe history will record him as a statesman ahead of his time,” he said.
Social media influencer Richard Ker reflected on Pak Lah’s legacy, writing: “Malaysia has lost a great figure who showed that strength does not have to be loud.”
Another user, Vena Taruddin, thanked the late leader for initiatives such as free school textbooks, the “Budi Bahasa Budaya Kita” campaign, Islam Hadhari, and the “Agriculture is Business” slogan.
“His leadership was peaceful and calm. His policies made an impact. May he be placed among the righteous,” she posted.
Aimar Adam, a resident of Kepala Batas, described Tun Abdullah as the "pearl of Penang," and thanked him for his vision and dedication to the country.
“Malaysia Hadhari became a historic slogan in shaping a civilised multi-ethnic society. Rest peacefully, Father of National Human Capital Development,” he wrote on Facebook.
Other netizens echoed appreciation for the former Prime Minister’s reforms, including increasing civil servant salaries, introducing the J-Qaf programme for teaching Jawi, the Quran, Arabic, and Islamic practices, and bolstering food security and the agricultural sector.
Tun Abdullah passed away peacefully at the National Heart Institute (IJN) at 7.10pm yesterday. – April 15, 2025
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