KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, were among scores of people who paid their last respects to former home minister Tun Ghazali Shafie at his younger sister’s residence at Damansara Utama.
LAID TO REST: Khalil (fourth left) and Abdullah (fifth left) were among those who prayed for the late Ghazali at Masjid Negara yesterday. — Bernama photo
Najib and Muhyiddin spent about half an hour with the deceased’s family and to recite the Yasin verse.
Also present were International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, several deputy ministers and the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Sidek Hassan.
Ghazali’s remains were taken to Al-Mujahiddin Mosque in Damansara Utama for funeral preparation and prayer, which was led by former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The remains were later brought to the National Mosque for burial at the Warrior Mausoleum before the zohor prayer.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Development Department in a statement, said the public can pay their last respects to Ghazali at the main lecture hall of the National Mosque from 11.30am.
In Bangi, Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim described Ghazali’s death as a great loss to him as the former home minister was his mentor.
Rais said Ghazali was held in high regard as he was a competent administrator.
“He was my mentor as I had served as deputy home minister under him from 1976 to 1978.
“As he (Ghazali) had also served as Foreign Minister and Information Minister, I had the opportunity of keeping in steps with his works. I looked up to him,” he said after opening a seminar on the contribution of an influential Indonesian intellectual, Prof Hamka at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) yesterday.
Rais also described Ghazali as one of the architects of the formation of Malaysia as he had assisted in the formation of the Cobbold Commission, which was entrusted with conducting a referendum on the entry of Sabah and Sarawak in the federation in 1963-1964. — Bernama