PETALING JAYA: The body of national poet laureate Datuk Abdullah Hussain was laid to rest at Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery after Zohor prayers, today.
Abdullah, 94, died of old age at his house in Section 17, here, at 8.40pm yesterday.
About 100 people, comprised of family members, relatives and friends, gathered at his house this morning to pay their last respect. Also present were Agricultural and Agro-based Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and novelist Datuk Dr Mohd Anwar Ridhwan.
His remains were brought to Masjid Tun Abdul Aziz in Section 14 for “solat jenazah” (funeral prayers).
Abdullah's son Ahmad Patria Abdullah, 47, thanked those who had contributed and visited his father when he was ill.
"Dad was a loving father, grandfather and husband. He was also known as a religious man and a fighter.
"He had always believed that the pen is mightier than the sword. I hope the readers will continue to read and support his books," he said.
Abdullah, born on 25 March, 1920, was the 8th recipient of Malaysian National Laureate Award in 1996.
The Kedah-born novelist had written 25 novels, three short stories, nine translations, six biographies and an autobiography.
Among his popular novels were Interlok and Konserto Terakhir, which were used in the syllabus for Malay Literature subject for Form 5 students.