Brunei's Prince Azim dies at 38, condolences pour in from politicians & celebrities

He was known to be charitable and supportive of several causes.

Julia Yeo | October 25, 2020, 03:27 PM

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.

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.

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".

Top image via Wikipedia Commons and Janet Jackson's Instagram