IPOH: Former Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan was buried at the Panglima Kinta Mosque cemetery here this afternoon.
Abdullah Fadzil, who was also Orang Besar Jajahan Kinta and former Deputy Foreign Minister, was laid to rest at about 3.15 pm in a ceremony attended by about 200 people, including dignitaries and state government leaders.
Also present were Raja Muda of Perak Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa and Raja Di Hilir Perak Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain Sultan Idris Shah.
Abdullah Fadzil died at about 3am today at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur. He was 78.
Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, who attended the funeral, described Abdullah Fadzil as a leader who had contributed a lot to the country, especially in sports and politics.
He said Abdullah Fadzil had played a sterling role in helping Malaysia regain the Thomas Cup in 1992 after a lapse of 25 years. He was the Badminton Association of Malaysia president from 1993 to 2000.
"In the political field, he rose to prominence by assuming the position of Perak Umno Youth chief. Later, he was elected the MP for Bukit Gantang and was subsequently appointed as a deputy minister in several ministries.
"Having personally known him, I found him to be a noble person who would speak when necessary on important matters," he told reporters.
Abdullah Fadzil's eldest daughter Fizelle Che Wan, 52, said her father was admitted to the KPJ Tawakkal Kuala Lumpur Hospital a week ago due to high fever.
"After undergoing treatment two days ago, my father's health improved but God loved him more," she said.
She said her father was a patient individual who supported his children in their various endeavours.
"He hardly got angry and never forced us to follow in his footsteps. As for badminton, he was always very enthusiastic to develop the sport," she said. --BERNAMA