The second-born son of the current Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Prince Haji 'Abdul' Azim passed away on Oct. 24 at the age of 38.
Died battling long illness
According to The Star, the prince died after battling a long illness.
A Bruneian source said that Azim had been in hospital for a while before his death was announced, reported The Star.
no parents should have to bury their child. this is so heartbreaking to see the late His Royal Highness Prince Haji 'Abdul 'Azim's mother sad like this. 😞💔 #Brunei #PrinceAzim #RoyalFamily pic.twitter.com/2IL777h1jo
— 유니 (@_yunie108) October 24, 2020
He was fourth in line to succeed the throne.
Brunei will observe a seven-day mourning period for the prince, wearing white.
Born in 1982, Azim studied at Rosyth Primary School and Raffles Institution in Singapore before going to Oxford Brookes University in England.
Letters of condolences from S'pore
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, President Halimah Yacob and foreign affairs minister Vivian Balakrishnan sent letters of condolences to the Brunei Sultan on the loss of his second son.
PM Lee recalled his interactions with Azim when the prince was studying in Singapore, calling him a person "with great character".
Letter from President Halimah Yacob to Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah
Your Majesty,
It was with profound sadness that I learnt of the passing of your beloved son, His Royal Highness Prince Haji ‘Abdul ‘Azim. He will be remembered for his passion for the arts and kindness to the needy, and will be greatly missed by the people of Brunei Darussalam.
On behalf of the people of Singapore, I convey my deepest sympathies to Your Majesty for your loss.
Yours sincerely,
HALIMAH YACOB
Letter from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah
Your Majesty,
Ho Ching and I were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Haji ‘Abdul ‘Azim.
Prince ‘Azim was known for his kind and generous spirit, and for his dedication to charitable, educational, and youth causes. It was Singapore’s privilege to have had the opportunity to host him in our schools for his primary and secondary education. I recall him from my interactions with him over the years, as a person with great character. He will be dearly missed.
On behalf of the Government of Singapore, I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to Your Majesty during this time of sorrow.
Yours sincerely
LEE HSIEN LOONG
Facebook post by Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean
Letter from Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan to Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah
Your Majesty,
I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Haji ‘Abdul ‘Azim. Through his compassion and empathy, Prince Azim had endeared himself to Bruneians and all who knew him.
Please accept my sincere condolences for your loss. My thoughts are with Your Majesty during this difficult period.
Yours sincerely,
DR VIVIAN BALAKRISHNAN
Mourned by politicians, celebrities
Azim's death saddened many, including dignitaries and celebrities from all over.
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim also tweeted his condolences to the Brunei Sultan.
إِنَّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
— Anwar Ibrahim (@anwaribrahim) October 24, 2020
Merafak sembah takziah kepada KDYMM Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzadien Waddaulah & seluruh rakyat Brunei Darusalam atas kemangkatan anakanda Sultan, almarhum DYTM Paduka Seri Pengiran Muda Haji ‘Abdul ‘Azim. https://t.co/gVv3u7kCj4
American singer and younger sister of Michael Jackson mourned for the young prince on her Instagram Stories, and implied that Azim would be in "no more pain".
Rest in peace Prince Azim. He was so kind and generous and always went out of his way to see me. He was hilarious and made me laugh so much. A beautiful soul has been lost and gone way too soon. I respected him. He had to deal with a lot. 💐🌈💔 #ripprinceazim of #Brunei pic.twitter.com/pKisxkymib
— Daniel Lismore (@daniellismore) October 24, 2020
My deepest condolences to all of them, everyone in #Brunei, all your friends in London and beyond. Rest in power, #PrinceAzim.
— Perez (@ThePerezHilton) October 24, 2020
Sad and shocking news out of Brunei today. My thoughts and prayers are with Prince Azim and those whose lives he enriched in so many ways. #RIP
— Omar Sharif Jr. (@OmarSharifJr) October 24, 2020
Top image via Wikipedia Commons and Janet Jackson's Instagram
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