‘Charismatic, honest, noble’: Tributes pour in for former Malaysian PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as country holds state funeral

UMNO’s top two leaders – its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and deputy president Mohamad Hasan also paid tribute to the statesman. 

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Malaysia’s deputy prime minister, said that Abdullah was a mentor and leader whom he respected a lot, and that his passing was a huge loss for the nation. 

“In my career, Tun (Abdullah) gave me the opportunity to grow and provided a lot of invaluable advice,” he said, in a Facebook post on Monday.

Zahid also paid his respects at the former prime minister’s residence on Monday night. 

Hasan, who was at the National Heart Institute where Abdullah passed away, told reporters that the nation had lost a remarkable leader, describing Abdullah as a true statesman whose leadership was marked by sincerity and a strong sense of duty. 

“I personally feel very sad about his passing,” he was quoted as saying on Monday by Free Malaysia Today.

Meanwhile, residents of the Kepala Batas constituency in Penang, which Pak Lah represented in parliament for seven terms since 1978, hailed him for playing a pivotal role in bringing progress to the area, including the establishment of an educational institution during his tenure. 

“Throughout his service, Kepala Batas experienced prosperity and transformed from a cowboy town into a developed city,” chairman of the Al Jamiul Badawi Mosque in Kepala Batas, Shariful Azhar Othman told local news outlet Harian Metro.