Father of Rukun Negara passes away at 89

SHAH ALAM: The father of the Rukun Negara, Dr Agoes Salim, passed away at Ampang Puteri Hospital on Friday (March 15). He was 89.

Agoes, who was an economist and the first secretary-general of the then national unity ministry, passed away from old age. He would have turned 90 next month.

According to his son, Omar Salim, the funeral prayer was scheduled for after the Friday prayers at the Jamilul Huda mosque in Ampang.

Agoes’ remains will be brought to Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan for burial, Sinar Harian reported.

Omar, who described his late father as the Father of the Rukun Negara, said Agoes contributed a lot to the country during the era of Malaysia’s second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein.

Agoes, also a former chairman of Bank Pertanian, contributed to the formulation of key national doctrines such as the Rukun Negara and the New Economic Policy (NEP).