Condolences to Malaysia's PM - Endon Dies After Long Battle With Cancer

It's a difficult time when a family member dies. As much as I have very little respect for the current prime minister of Malaysia, Dato Seri abdullah Badawi, as a muslim, I share his sorrow in the demise of her wife of 40-years, Endon , after long battle with cancer.

Al-fatihah.
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Datin Seri Endon Mahmood

Bernama.com Malaysian National News Agency Endon Dies After Long Battle With Cancer General October 20, 2005 09:23 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- The Prime Minister's wife, Datin Seri Endon Mahmood died at 7.55 am Thursday at Sri Perdana, the Prime Minister's official residence in Putrajaya after fighting a long battle with cancer. News of her death was conveyed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to Bernama chairman Datuk Mohd Annuar Zaini. Endon, 64, breathed her last about 18 days after returning from undergoing a treatment for breast cancer in Los Angeles, United States. She is survived by two children. The Prime Minister's Office announced that members of the public can pay their last respects at Seri Perdana from 11 am through the main gate of the official residence. Her remains will be brought to the Putrajaya Mosque for funeral prayers during Asar, before being laid to rest at the Muslim burial grounds at Precinct 20, Putrajaya. Abdullah and her son Kamaluddin and his daughter Nori, daughter and son in laws, Azrene Abdullah and Khairy Jamaluddin respectively, the premier's four grandchildren who are Kamaluddin's children, were by Endon's side before she breathed her last. Endon's mother Datin Mariam Abdullah was also present. As a mark of respect, Several Cabinet Ministers including Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Information Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir cancelled all their official functions. Among others, the official launch of the national jersey for the SEA Games, scheduled to be officiated by the deputy premier, had been called off. News of Endon's sudden death at the break of dawn shocked the nation, with Malaysians from all walks of life mourning the loss of the premier's wife. Reflecting the atmosphere of grief and sorrow, the weather in the Klang Valley also greeted the day with gloom. Radio and television stations switched to low gear by playing songs which depict the sombre mood and verses from the holy Quran. Muslim radio deejays also called on listeners to offer the Al-Fatihah verse to Endon. News of Endon's death during the holy month of Ramadan, were immediately channelled through Bernama's Short Messaging Service (SMS). VIPs and foreign dignitaries started to pay their last respects at Sri Perdana at 9.30 am. Among the earliest to arrive, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar was seen busy managing the situation. Hundreds of people had also started to trickle in to pay their last respects to Endon. Senior government officers including secretaries-general and directors-general based in Putrajaya also rushed to Seri Perdana to pay their last respects. Members of the public started converging in Seri Perdana ahead of visiting hours at 11 am. Also present were Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin, Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, Minister of Higher Education Datuk Dr Mohd Shafie Salleh and former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Musa Hitam. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor were seen arriving at Seri Perdana at about 10.30 am. Shortly after, the Prime Minister, who appeared in blue Malay traditional dress, was seen receiving visitors who came to pay their last respects at the premier's official residence. Abdullah who appeared composed at first, could not hold back his tears when several visitors expressed their heartfelt condolences by lending their shoulders to the bereaved premier. He was later seen having some moments with Najib and Syed Hamid. According to one of his aides, Abdullah who was by his wife's side, appeared calm when Endon breathed her last. Immediately, the premier began making preparations for her burial. At the Parliament building, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib announced Endon's death at the start of Thursday's sitting at 10 am before adjourning the meeting to Monday. -- BERNAMA

Copyright © 2005 BERNAMA. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form except with the prior written permission of BERNAMA. Disclaimer

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Other coverages:-
Reuters' Malaysia in mourning after PM's wife dies
The Associated Press' Malaysian Prime Minister's Wife Dies
Agence France Presse's Malaysia mourns death of PM Abdullah's wife
BBC News' Malaysia PM's wife dies of cancer
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Malaysia in mourning after PM's wife dies

By Jalil HamidThu Oct 20, 1:08 AM ET

Malaysia went into mourning on Thursday for Endon Mahmood, well-liked wife of the prime minister, who died after a long battle with breast cancer.

Endon, as she was warmly known, was a well of inspiration for Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, but family friends sought to dispel any notion that he might now begin to lose his appetite for power.

"I think that this will throw him more into the job now," said a close friend, who described Abdullah as calm in the first hours after her death, just after dawn at their home on Thursday.

"It's a huge loss to Pak Lah," said Abdullah Ahmad, a former newspaper editor and diplomat, using Abdullah's affectionate nickname. Abdullah Ahmad was among thousands of people at the prime minister's official residence to offer his condolences.

"She was everything to Pak Lah. She was a friend and a confidante." But Abdullah Ahmad also doubted that the premier, 65, would lose his drive for politics now that she was gone.

Parliament was adjourned until Monday as a mark of respect, and the government canceled all Thursday's official functions, local media said. All local TV stations broadcast prayers.

Leaders from neighbor Singapore, including the prime minister, were also making their way to Malaysia to pay their respects, Malaysian officials said, in a clear sign of warmer bilateral ties since prime minister Abdullah took power in 2003.

An official spokeswoman said Endon, 64, died at 7:15 a.m. (2315 GMT) at the premier's sprawling hilltop official residence in the leafy new administrative capital of Putrajaya.

The whole family was gathered at Endon's bedside when the end came. The prime minister, a deeply religious man, was serene and comforted his children as they wept, the close friend said.

The son, Kamaluddin Abdullah, told Reuters she had spoken no parting words. "She was in semi-conscious state already," said a tired-looking Kamaluddin, wearing a white linen shirt as he stood at the main door of the residence to receive the condolences of visitors, among them women in the black headscarves of mourning.

"She died peacefully," said her son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin. Endon's mother was also beside her at the time.

Thousands of people, including civil servants from offices nearby, queued in rain outside the turquoise-domed residence, waiting to enter and file past Endon's body, wrapped in white linen. Later on Thursday, her body is to be taken to a mosque for prayers before being buried in a public cemetery in Putrajaya.

The death came in the holy month of Ramadan, during which devout Muslims believe the departed receive special blessings.

The soft-spoken Endon was diagnosed with cancer soon after her twin sister Noraini discovered she had the disease in 2002.

Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was among the first visitors to arrive. He went in and read verses from the holy Koran, officials said. Abdullah took power late in 2003, as the chosen successor of Mahathir.

Since 2002, Endon had made regular trips to the United States for treatment. She returned home on October 1 from weeks of treatment in Los Angeles, but immediately went into hospital to guard against secondary infections, on doctors' advice.

(Additional reporting by Mark Bendeich, Clarence Fernandez and Barani Krishnan)

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Malaysian Prime Minister's Wife Dies

By SEAN YOONG, Associated Press WriterWed Oct 19, 9:58 PM ET

Endon Mahmood, the wife of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, died Thursday after a four-year battle with breast cancer. She was 64.

Endon Mahmood's death came less than two months after the couple marked their 40th wedding anniversary. The Malaysian leader took office in October 2003 following the retirement of his predecessor, longtime leader Mahathir Mohamad.

Endon, who recently underwent months of intensive chemotherapy in Los Angeles, died at the family's official residence Thursday morning in Putrajaya, Malaysia's administrative capital, after being released from a Malaysian hospital Monday, said Abdullah's spokeswoman, Esuriyanti Ahmad.

"The family members were at her side, everybody was there," Esuriyanti said.

Parliament proceedings and several other government functions were canceled Thursday. Thousands of people were expected to gather at Abdullah's home to pay their final respects to Endon before she was buried in a traditional Muslim funeral later Thursday.

The couple have a son, a daughter and four grandchildren.

Abdullah has often publicly called Endon his "No. 1 supporter." When his mother died of natural causes in February 2004, Abdullah telephoned Endon in the United States, where she was undergoing treatment. She later told reporters that he said: "I've lost my mother and I don't want to lose you too."

Endon met Abdullah while both were working at the Public Services Department in the 1960s. After retiring in 1976, she has mainly been involved in charity work for women and children, and has spearheaded efforts to assist children in North Korea, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.

Since 2002, Endon had been deeply involved in awareness programs for breast cancer, the main cause of illness-related fatalities for Malaysian women.

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Malaysia mourns death of PM Abdullah's wife

Thu Oct 20, 3:22 AM ET

Malaysia is grieving with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi following the death of his wife Endon Mahmood, whose long and loving marriage to their premier captivated the nation.

After a long battle with breast cancer, the much-loved First Lady passed away in the morning at the prime minister's residence in Putrajaya, the nation's administrative centre, the state Bernama news agency said.

Diplomats, political figures and thousands of Malaysians flocked to the residence to pay their respects ahead of a funeral ceremony and burial scheduled for Thursday afternoon in accordance with Muslim rituals.

Abdullah, dressed in blue Malay traditional dress, remained composed but was at times moved to tears as he received condolences from well-wishers who filed past the body, laid on a white bed and covered with a white cloth.

The nation's parliament was suspended until Monday as a mark of respect and official functions were cancelled. Most television and radio stations broadcast Koran recitals or played sombre songs as mourning enveloped the nation.

"She was such a loving wife to Abdullah, she brought so much joy for him, we will all miss her greatly," said Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar.

"Abdullah is a tower of strength for the cabinet. Despite this difficult moment, he is very composed and very calm. It is amazing how he is holding himself, since Endon was very dear to him," he said.

Endon was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, the same year her twin sister Noraini died of the same disease. She recently returned from the United States where she had spent more than three months undergoing chemotherapy.

The couple broke with the traditional silence that surrounds illnesses of high-ranking figures here and spoke openly about Endon's condition, keeping Malaysians informed about her battle with the disease.

Abdullah Ahmad, a former editor of the New Straits Times and a long-time family friend, said Endon's death was a "huge loss" for the prime minister.

"She was everything to Pak Lah. She was a friend, wife and confidante," he said, using Malaysians' affectionate nickname for Abdullah, which means "father".

Endon's death has triggered an outpouring of support and sympathy for Abdullah, whose love for his wife inspired many Malaysians. Their 40-year marriage was widely considered a model relationship.

"He will always give me a peck on the cheek before leaving home or at least call from downstairs that he is leaving. He will always phone when he is away and we always tell each other we love each other," Endon said last year.

Endon was born to a Japanese mother and a Malaysian father in 1940. She worked in the civil service until her retirement in 1976. She married in 1965 and had two children, Kamaludin and Nori, and four grandchildren.

She always declined to comment on her husband's long career, but offered her steadfast support during his political highs and lows.

"It can be very difficult and stressful so I think a politician must really love his job to want to go through all this," she said in the 2004 interview.

"I believe he was fated to become the country's leader and as his wife I must give him all the support," she said.

The softly-spoken Endon devoted her time to social, community and charity work and was also a strong supporter of Malaysian arts and crafts. She also used her own illness to promote cancer awareness.

Condolences began to flow in from around the region, including from Thailand despite current tensions between the neighbours centred on separatist conflict in Thailand's Muslim-majority south.

Thai deputy prime minister Surakiart Sathirathai will attend the burial, while Singapore will be represented by a high-level delegation led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President S.R. Nathan.

Philippines President Gloria Arroyo and foreign secretary Alberto Romulo will also attend the ceremony.

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Malaysia PM's wife dies of cancer
Malaysia is mourning the death of Endon Mahmood, the popular wife of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, from breast cancer.

Her funeral, held soon after her death on Wednesday, was nationally televised.

Parliament adjourned and local television and radio stations broadcast prayers and sombre music as a mark of respect for Endon Mahmood, who was 64.

The prime minister and his wife had been married for 40 years, and had what was seen as a model partnership.

Mr Abdullah was reported to be at times tearful but calm as he received mourners, including high level representatives from Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines.

When asked by reporters if he was coping well, Mr Abdullah smiled weakly and said: "We'll see," the Associated Press reported.

Endon Mahmood was respected by the Malaysian public for her gentle unassuming personality, and was popularly referred to as "Kak Endon," or "Elder Sister Endon."

She told The Star newspaper in 2003: "I must be supportive and understanding of [my husband's] duties.

"I always compliment him. He will always phone when he is away, and we always tell each other we love each other."

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said he thought the prime minister was bearing up well under the strain.

"She was such a loving wife to Abdullah, she brought so much joy for him, we will all miss her greatly," he said.

"Abdullah is a tower of strength for the Cabinet. Despite this difficult moment, he is very composed and very calm. It is amazing how he is holding himself, since Endon was very dear to him."

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4360118.stm

Published: 2005/10/20 11:27:13 GMT

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