Tun Adnan Robert dies at 86

KOTA KINABALU: Former Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Mohamad Adnan Robert died of old age at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital at 1.45pm yesterday. He was 86. 

Adnan, who was Sabah’s sixth and longest serving head of state from 1978 to 1987, will be buried at the Sabah state mosque in Sembulan here today, a family member said. 

He leaves behind his wife Toh Puan Mariam Robert and six children. He was admitted to the hospital on Monday and his condition turned serious on Friday. 

Adnan was born on Sept 9, 1917, in Keningau and later worked with the Sabah government, beginning as a hospital dresser and retired in 1972 as permanent secretary to the Sabah Health Ministry after 35 years in service. 

His most challenging moment as head of state was the tussle between Parti Bersatu Sabah president Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan and the late Tun Datu Mustapha Harun – which later came to be known as “the palace coup” in 1985. 

Both Pairin and Mustapha claimed that they were sworn in as Chief Minister by Adnan after the 1985 state election that saw the collapse of the Berjaya government under Datuk Mohd Harris Salleh. 

Adnan was forced to appear in court during the legal tussle.  

He was an ardent football fan and was a former president of the Sabah Football Association.