Kuala Lumpur: Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor conveyed his condolences to the family of Malaysia’s fifth prime minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who died at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur today. He described the former prime minister as a leader who contributed greatly to the country and had launched five Malaysian Economic Corridors during his tenure, including the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) in 2008.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the SDC’s objectives were to turn Sabah into an entry point for commerce, investment, and tourism, to create jobs, and to make the state more technologically-savvy and harmonious, regardless of religion and race. The project greatly benefited the state’s development. At the same time, Tun Abdullah, who led the country for six years, was a people-centric leader, warm and well-loved, Hajiji said in a statement tonight.

Tun Abdullah died at the National Heart Institute at 7.10 pm, aged 85. His passing was subsequently confirmed by his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin in an Instagram post. Born on Nov 26, 1939, in Bayan Lepas, Penang, Tun Abdullah served as prime minister from Oct 31, 2003, to April 3, 2009, after Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad stepped down.