KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah have conveyed their condolences to the family of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated today.
In a post on Istana Negara’s Facebook, Their Majesties expressed their sadness over his passing and hoped that the family will be resilient in this time of sorrow.
“His passing is a great loss to Japan and its people,” it said.
According to Anadolu Agency, Abe, 67, was shot from behind while delivering a speech at a political campaign in Nara city. His assailant has been arrested.
On March 11, Al-Sultan Abdullah said he granted an audience to Abe, who was here for a three-day official visit as the special envoy of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, at Istana Negara.
The visit was also in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Malaysia’s Look East Policy (LEP) and the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Japan.
At the meeting, Al-Sultan Abdullah also conferred the Honorary Doctorate in Political Economics to Abe, in conjunction with the International Islamic University Malaysia’s (IIUM) 36th convocation.
It was also their second meeting, after the first one at the Imperial Palace, Tokyo when His Majesty attended the enthronement ceremony of Japan’s 126th Emperor, Emperor Naruhito, on Oct 23, 2019.-Bernama
