Man behind Rukun Negara dies at 89

 

Agoes Salim contributed to the formulation of key national doctrines such as the Rukun Negara which will soon be recited by civil servants at government events. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Agoes Salim, the man behind the Rukun Negara, has died. He was 89.

According to Sinar Harian, Agoes died of old age at Ampang Puteri Hospital in Kuala Lumpur. The funeral prayers took place after Friday prayers at the Jamilul Huda mosque in Ampang.

His son, Omar Salim, said Agoes’s body will be taken to Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan for burial.

“My father, who was considered the man behind the Rukun Negara, contributed significantly to the country during the era of Malaysia’s second prime minister, Abdul Razak Hussein,” he was quoted as saying.

Agoes was an economist and the first secretary-general of the national unity ministry.

Agoes, who was also a former chairman of Bank Pertanian, contributed to the formulation of key national doctrines such as the Rukun Negara and the New Economic Policy (NEP). - FMT