KUALA LUMPUR: The National Mosque's chief architect, Datuk Baharuddin Abu Kassim, 95, died today.
The news of his death was shared by former Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM) president, Prof Sarly Adre Sarkum.
"We have lost a respected figure in the architectural community. He was a national architect and a figure whose contributions shaped our built environment," he said.
Sarly said the late Baharuddin's vision and dedication were exemplified in the design of the National Mosque, which continues to inspire generations of architects and Malaysians.
"May Allah SWT grant him the highest place in paradise and bestow patience and strength upon his family during this difficult time. Al-Fatihah," he said.
The National Mosque's design and construction were carried out by three architects from the Public Works Department's design and research department. These included the late Baharuddin, Hisham Albakri and architect Howard Ashley from the United Kingdom.
The construction of the National Mosque began in 1963 on a 5.2-hectare site and took three years to complete.
Before starting the planning of the National Mosque, the late Baharuddin researched mosques in India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, the then United Arab Republic (present-day Egypt) and Spain.
The late Baharuddin, who was also a recipient of the PAM Gold Medal, was appointed as a consulting architect for the Malaysian government for the High Commission projects in New Delhi, India, and Islamabad, Pakistan.