SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has expressed his condolences over the death of former Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, calling him “an inspiration to many”.
Abdullah died on Monday (Apr 14) at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur. He was 85.
He “elevated ASEAN’s international standing and defended regionalism at a time of great change in the global community”, Mr Wong wrote in a letter to Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
“Tun Abdullah faithfully served the Malaysian people and made significant improvements to Malaysia’s economic and social development.”
Abdullah, also known affectionately as Pak Lah, served as Malaysia’s fifth prime minister between 2003 and 2009.
Mr Wong noted that during Abdullah’s tenure as prime minister, Singapore and Malaysia “deepened cooperation in areas of mutual interest”.
This included the development of Iskandar Malaysia, which Singapore has strongly supported since its inception, he said.
“At the same time, Singapore and Malaysia made good progress on longstanding bilateral issues,” Mr Wong added.
“For instance, both countries agreed to abide by the ruling of the International Court of Justice on the sovereignty of Pedra Branca and Middle Rocks. Despite the difficulties, Tun Abdullah always engaged us constructively, often defusing tense moments with his congenial personality,” said Mr Wong.
He added in his letter to Mr Anwar: “My heartfelt sympathies are with you, the people of Malaysia, and Tun Abdullah’s family during this period of sadness.”
