KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — Former Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Adib Mohamad Adam breathed his last at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL), this morning due to old age. He was 81.

His wife, Datin Seri Zainiah Hussein, 77, said he was admitted to HKL last night after complaining of breathing difficulties.

She said at 8.20 this morning, she was informed that her husband had passed away.

"My husband has never complained of illness before, only in the last month he suffered a stroke, his condition was also quite weak and his memory affected,” she said when met by Bernama at Darul Ehsan Mosque, Taman Tun Abdul Razak, Ampang, near here.

The final rites including the shrouding of the body were carried out at the mosque and the funeral prayer was performed at 4.25pm by more than 100 worshippers led by the Imam of the mosque, Mohamad Khairi Hussein.

He will be buried at Melaka Heroes’ Mausoleum after the Maghrib prayers.

Mohd Adib, who was born on July 2, 1941, leaves behind his wife and four children.

He held the position of the fifth Melaka chief minister from July 11, 1978, to April 26, 1982.

The experienced politician and corporate figure also held the Information Minister and Rural, Cooperatives and Entrepreneurship Minister positions.

Meanwhile, a close family member, Professor Emeritus Datuk Shad Saleem Faruqi said Mohd Adib contributed immensely to the villagers in Kampung Kesang Tua Jasin, Melaka and the public at large.

"He helped a lot of people; he did a good job and was very dynamic in his work... He stepped away from politics in 1988 before venturing into business,” he said. — Bernama