Hamzah Abu Samah laid to rest in National Mosque grounds

KUALA LUMPUR: The late Tan Sri Hamzah Abu Samah, a former cabinet minister who died on Tuesday, was laid to rest within the grounds of the National Mosque, here, at 3.30pm Wednesday.

Earlier, Hamzah's remains were placed in the main prayer hall of the mosque from 1pm for members of the public to pay their last respects.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom led the funeral prayer after Zohor prayer, and Hamzah's remains were then taken to the cemetery site next to the Heroes Mausoleum for burial.

Present at the burial were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Jamil Khir.

Also in attendance was the chief imam of the National Mosque, Tan Sri Sheikh Ismail Muhammad.

The prime minister said after the burial that the late Hamzah had contributed a lot to the nation through the various posts he held, whether in government, politics or sports.

"Perhaps, the country's success in football and sports during his tenure as president of the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) will always be remembered and appreciated by sports fans and the people at large," he said.

Najib said as a political figure, Hamzah also contributed much to the political struggle together with Tun Abdul Razak Hussein (the country's second prime minister) from the time the country achieved independence.

He also described Hamzah as among the political figures who helped to lay the foundation for the new nation after independence and that he continued to serve the people, religion and country.

Hamzah, 88, died of old age at about 3.30pm Tuesday at his residence in Staffield Country Resort, Mantin, Negri Sembilan.

Hamzah leaves behind wife Toh Puan Zainon Hussein, who is the sister of Tun Abdul Razak, five sons, Mohd Azlan, Zulkifly, Mohd Azman, Mohd Izaham and Shahril, and two daughters, Salina and Suria.

Hamzah was a cabinet minister from the 1960's until he stepped down in 1980 after undergoing a coronary bypass operation.

He was Culture, Youth and Sports minister (1971-1973), Defence minister (from August 1973) and Trade and Industry minister (from September 1974), and his last post was Law minister and Attorney-General.

The Pekan-born Hamzah was member of parliament for Raub (1967-1978) and Temerloh (1978-1980).

He studied at the famed Malay College Kuala Kangsar in Perak before taking up law at Gray's Inn, England in 1953.

He took over the post of OCM president from Tun Abdul Razak in 1976 and served until 1998, before losing the post to current president Tan Sri Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar in the election in 1998.

He was then appointed as honorary life president of OCM. - Bernama