KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof represented the Malaysian government, paying his last respects and attending the state funeral of Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng in Hanoi today.
"I also had the opportunity to express my condolences to the family of the deceased and all the people of Vietnam for the passing of the deceased," he said in a post on social media.
Joining Fadillah were the Deputy Secretary-General (Bilateral Relations) of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (Wisma Putra) Datuk Ahmad Rozian Abd Ghani, and the Malaysian Ambassador to Vietnam Datuk Tan Yang Thai.
Nguyễn, 80, reportedly died of old age.
The Deputy Prime Minister added that Nguyễn, who has led the party since 2011, is the first leader to hold three consecutive mandates in the post after the country's economic liberalisation in 1986.
Yesterday, Wisma Putra said Fadillah was on a working visit to Vietnam from yesterday until today as a representative of the Malaysian government to the state funeral.
It said the visit underlined Malaysia's commitment to continue maintaining strong diplomatic relations with Vietnam, while respecting the legacy left by Nguyễn.
— Bernama
