Dr M pays last respect to Najib's mother

 

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah were among those who paid their last respect to Rahah Mohamed Noah, the mother of sixth prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Rahah, who passed away at age 87 yesterday, was the wife of the second prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein.

Mahathir and Najib are bitter rivals but they set aside their political disagreements for the funeral proceedings at Ar Rahah Mosque in Kampung Kerinchi, Kuala Lumpur.

Both men met briefly and were seen speaking to each other.

Rahah's remains, which arrived at the mosque at 7.50am, was bathed and wrapped in a shroud before the public was allowed to pay their last respect at 9am.

Mahathir arrived at 9.05am and was accompanied by his wife Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali and son Mukhriz Mahathir.

Only a limited number of people were allowed to pay their respect due to the standard operating procedure to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Rahah will be laid to rest at the Heroes' Mausoleum near the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur, alongside her late husband.

Mahathir was Abdul Razak's protégé. The latter had brought Mahathir back from the political wilderness in the 1970s after he was expelled from Umno for going against first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.

The nonagenarian previously said he endorsed Najib as the sixth prime minister out of gratitude to Abdul Razak.

However, Mahathir later joined forces with the then opposition in the 2018 general election to oust Najib amid accusations the latter was involved in misappropriating billions from state-owned 1MDB.

Abdul Razak served as prime minister from 1970 to 1976, until his death.

Najib was the country's leader from 2009 to 2018, until his removal in the general election, ending BN's uninterrupted hold on power since it was founded by Abdul Razak in 1973.

BN is an expansion of the Alliance, which was the ruling coalition since independence in 1957.

Meanwhile, Utusan Malaysia reported that DAP leaders were also present to pay their last respect.

They include Ketari assemblyperson Young Syefura Othman, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and Bakri MP Yeo Bee Yin who arrived at around 9.40am.

Young Syefura also conveyed her condolences to Najib. - Mkini