IPOH: Former deputy defence minister, Datuk Seri Dr Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan, passed away at approximately 3am today in a private hospital in Kajang, Selangor.
The district chief of Kinta Toh Muda, Orang Kaya Kaya Panglima Kinta Seri Amar Bangsa Diraja Datuk Ab Wahab Azizul Hassan, who confirmed the news to Bernama, stated that Dr Abdullah Fadzil passed away at the age of 78.
He mentioned that the deceased, who was also a prominent figure in the Kinta district and a former deputy foreign minister, had been ailing for approximately five years due to Alzheimer's.
Ab Wahab stated that the Islamic funeral rites which would include a final bath and prayers for the deceased will be held at the Sungai Ramal Mosque in Kajang before burial at the Panglima Kinta Mosque Cemetery in Ipoh at 2pm today.
Dr Abdullah Fadzil previously held the position of deputy foreign minister in 1987 and deputy minister of defence in 1995 in a previous government.
The late Dr Abdullah also served as the president of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) from 1993 to 2000.
In 2015, media reports indicated that Dr Abdullah went missing in Bukit Tunku, Kuala Lumpur, before being found later the same evening. It was understood that he was believed to be suffering from dementia, a mental health condition that leads to memory loss. --BERNAMA