PM Wong, SM Lee pay tribute to M'sia's Abdullah Badawi, SM Lee to attend state funeral

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong will attend the state funeral of the late former Malaysian PM Abdullah Badawi on Apr. 15 in Kuala Lumpur.

Badawi's death was confirmed on Apr. 14 by his son-in-law and former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Fortunate friend

Since then, tributes have poured in, including from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, SM Lee, and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

PM Wong paid tribute to Badawi's six-year tenure as Malaysia's 5th prime minister, saying that he had made significant contributions to the country's social and economic development, as well as his contributions to Asean.

He said that Singapore was "fortunate to count Tun Abdullah as a friend" and noted the areas of cooperation in mutual interest, such as the development of Iskandar Malaysia.

PM Wong also credited him for laying the "strong foundation for our countries' excellent ties today."

Leader's retreat

SM Lee expressed his sadness at Badawi's passing, saying that he had known "Pak Lah", Badawi's affectionate nickname, before either had become PM of their respective country.

He said they had done much together to "strengthen the friendship and cooperation" between the two countries.

Of particular note was the first Malaysia-Singapore Leader's Retreat, held in Langkawi, a practice that continues to this day.

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan also penned a tribute to Badawi, recounting his own participation in the first Leaders' Retreat.

Noting that Badawi was a "distinguished leader", he also paid tribute to the progress made on bilateral issues, such as the development of Iskandar Malaysia.

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Top image via Lee Hsien Loong/Facebook