TRIBUTES POUR IN
Prominent figures from both the ruling government and the opposition have also shared their memories of the former leader.
President of Malaysia’s opposition Parti Islam Se Malaysia (PAS) Hadi Awang said Abdullah would be remembered as a calm and courteous figure who brought a moderate approach to his administration.
“May Allah … bestow His mercy upon his soul, forgive his sins, accept his good deeds, and place him among His faithful and righteous servants,” said Hadi, as quoted by the Malay Mail.
PAS secretary general Takiyuddin Hassan also conveyed his party’s condolences over Abdullah’s passing.
“He will remain in the nation’s history and the memory of the people as a charismatic, honest, noble leader who was respected by the people,” he said in a Facebook post on behalf of his party on Monday.
Dubbed “Mr Clean” and “Mr Nice Guy”, Abdullah introduced various institutional and human rights reforms during his tenure and is also regarded as the country’s father of human capital development.
“The merits and contributions of Allahyarham Tun Abdullah in driving the development of Malaysia are enormous,” said Muhyiddin in a Facebook post on Monday.
He added that Abdullah introduced the concept of Islam Hadhari that focuses on improving the quality of life of the people holistically through the mastery of knowledge in various fields as well as the development of human capital.
Abdullah advocated for this progressive and more tolerant interpretation of Islam in 2004.
Anwar said it has ensured Malaysia “advanced with a human touch”, by bridging ”progress and development with values”.
