Kuala lumpur: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed his profound sadness over the passing of academic figure Professor Emeritus Datuk Abu Bakar Abd Hamid, who died last Sunday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, in a Facebook post today, Anwar described the late Abu Bakar, a former deputy vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaya (UM), as a prominent figure in Malay literature and instrumental in the establishment of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Anwar, one of Abu Bakar's former students, expressed his sorrow over the loss of a teacher who was deeply loved and cherished.

Anwar's tribute highlighted Abu Bakar's passion for knowledge and his ability to inspire those around him. "We loved and cherished him not only as a teacher, but also as someone who was passionate about knowledge and always inspired everyone. May Allah SWT forgive his sins and grant his soul peace and a special place," Anwar said.

Abu Bakar, originally from Johor, passed away at his residence in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, on June 21 at around 10.30 pm due to sudden shortness of breath. His contributions to literature and academics were widely recognized, having served as the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) from 1996 to 2000.

Throughout his life, Abu Bakar received numerous prestigious awards for his contributions to literature. He was appointed Universiti Malaya deputy vice-chancellor in 1987 and played a significant role as joint secretary of the committee established to set up UKM in 1968. He was laid to rest at the Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery on Monday.