Hasan, who was at the National Heart Institute where Abdullah passed away, told reporters that the nation had lost a remarkable leader, describing Abdullah as a true statesman whose leadership was marked by sincerity and a strong sense of duty.
“I personally feel very sad about his passing,” he was quoted as saying on Monday by Free Malaysia Today.
Meanwhile, residents of the Kepala Batas constituency in Penang which Pak Lah represented in parliament for seven terms since 1978, hailed him for playing a pivotal role in bringing progress to the area, including the establishment of an educational institution during his tenure.
“Throughout his service, Kepala Batas experienced prosperity and transformed from a cowboy town into a developed city,” chairman of the Al Jamiul Badawi Mosque in Kepala Batas, Shariful Azhar Othman told local news outlet Harian Metro.
Beyond Malaysia, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has also expressed condolences to the people of Malaysia.
“Tun Abdullah was an inspiration to many. He elevated ASEAN’s international standing and defended regionalism at a time of great change in the global community,” Wong said in a condolence letter to Anwar, released by Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday.
“Tun Abdullah faithfully served the Malaysian people and made significant improvements to Malaysia’s economic and social development.”
Wong also wrote a condolence letter to Abdullah’s wife, Jeanne Abdullah.
In a tribute on Facebook, Senior Minister Lee of Singapore expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Tun Abdullah.
He shared that it had been a “great privilege” to have known him personally.
