KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai described the late Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as a great, kind, patient and decent statesman.
"He had no malice and always had kind words. He always had time for the accompanying reporters, no matter how tiring the day has been for him, by inviting to his room to listen to us on the events that had taken place," said Wong, who had followed the former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on many overseas trips.
Wong, who has covered four Malaysian Prime Ministers in his career as a journalist, said Abdullah was an exceptional man.
Fondly known as Pak Lah, Abdullah, 85, passed away at the National Heart Institute at 7.10pm. The news was confirmed by his son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, in an Instagram post.
Born on Nov 26, 1939, in Bayan Lepas, Penang, Abdullah served as Malaysia’s Prime Minister from Oct 31, 2003 to April 3, 2009, following the resignation of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. - Bernama
