JOHOR BARU: Tributes continue to pour in for former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, including from a close friend who says that he has lost a dear friend and mentor whom he has known for almost 30 years.
Datuk Patrick Lim described Abdullah, affectionately known as “Pak Lah”, as a humble gentleman and statesman who truly had the heart to serve the people.
“I knew him when he was the foreign minister. We got along well, and he was a nice and humble person who did not have any air of arrogance in him despite moving on to become deputy prime minister and later as the country’s prime minister,” he said when contacted.
Lim, a property developer from Penang who is a close family friend, said that he respected Pak Lah as a father figure who always advised him.
“He always wanted to help the people, especially those marginalised like the fishermen and hawkers," he added.
Among Abdullah's iconic projects include the international Monsoon Cup, building of the Islamic Heritage Park and Crystal mosque in Terengganu.
Abdullah is also credited for launching an RM1 public housing scheme in Batu Kawan in Penang and bazaar rakyat at several multi-purpose halls in Selangor.
When asked how he felt being labelled as “Patrick Badawi “ due to his closeness to Pak Lah, he brushed it aside and laughed.
“I always felt honoured to be associated with such a fine and respected person like Pak Lah “, he said, adding that they remained good friends even after he retired from public service and politics.
Lim, who regarded himself as a builder and planner, said that he felt honoured when, during his inaugural lecture as an adjunct professor at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu last year, he managed to pay tribute to Abdullah and shared the inspirations of the retired leader to the audience.
He said that the lecture titled Realisation of a Vision, Thinking Beyond Boundaries, The Tun Abdullah Vision for Terengganu was well received by the younger generation who attended the packed event.
Lim stressed that Abdullah was a moderate who championed Islam but always respected people of other faiths.
