SINTOK: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday paid tribute to the late Tun Ghazali Shafie, saying he was a great statesman who had done a lot for the country and that his death was a huge loss to the nation.
IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION: Dr Mahathir delivers a keynote address on ‘Education in the Future’ at the Kedah Education Colloquium at Universiti Utara Malaysia. — Bernama photo
“He had wide experience in international relations and played a major role to ease tension during the confrontation with Indonesia.
“His attribute of having known many people and foreign leaders was an asset in Malaysia’s effort to forge international relations,” he said.
Dr Mahathir was approached after he had delivered a keynote address on ‘Education in the Future’ at the Kedah Education Colloquium at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), here.
He conveyed his condolences to the family.
Ghazali died at 7.45pm Sunday at his home in Subang Jaya, He was 88.
“When I became a MP, he was permanent secretary to the Foreign Ministry. We had been acquaintances since then,” said Dr Mahathir, who acknowledged that Ghazali had been a friend who had taught him a lot.
The former prime minister said Ghazali might have been involved with Force 136, a British-led underground resistance group that operated against the Japanese in then Malaya during World War II, but he added that he was not so sure about that.
In Kuala Lumpur, former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, when approached at Ghazali’s burial at the Warriors’ Mausoleum at the National Mosque, described Ghazali as a respected thinker.
Abdullah said Ghazali was a statesman who should be remembered for his contributions to the success of various schemes when he was a minister.
“I came to know him when he was a government officer because I was also one then. After getting to know him, one was impressed by him and came to respect him because he was stern, especially when it came to work,” he said.
Abdullah said Ghazali was stern not only with civil servants but also journalists who should think hard before posing a question.
He recalled an incident when a senior reporter asked Ghazali whether students among demonstrators would be caned and Ghazali retorted: “Who said so? Do you want to be caned?” — Bernama