Former Malaysian leader Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who extended political freedoms, dies at 85
Khairy Jamaluddin, his son-in-law and former health minister, announced on social media that ‘Pak Lah’ had died

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, a moderate who extended the country’s political freedoms but was criticised for lacklustre leadership, has died of heart disease. He was 85.
Abdullah entered the critical care unit at the National Heart Institute on April 25, 2024 after being diagnosed with spontaneous pneumothorax, a collapsed lung that occurs without any apparent cause.
Affectionately known as “Pak Lah”, Abdullah was admitted to Kuala Lumpur’s State Institute of Heart on Sunday after experiencing breathing difficulties where he was closely monitored by a cardiac specialists team, but he passed away on Monday at 7.10pm despite all medical efforts, said the hospital in a statement.
In 2022, his son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, disclosed that Abdullah had dementia that was progressively worsening. He said Abdullah had trouble speaking and could not recognise his family.