PETALING JAYA: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad shared the sad news of the passing of his long-time aide, Ismail Manaf, who passed away yesterday (June 5).

In a Facebook post, Dr Mahathir said he felt very sad to lose a good friend, assistant, and strong supporter who has been with him since the 70s when he was the Deputy Prime Minister.

“Ismail was extraordinarily loyal, never once missed a day of work, and was never negligent.

“Even until last night, Ismail was still working.

“He was someone who worked not just to earn a wage, but because he believed in what he was doing was something good,“ he said.

He shared that he had met Ismail on June 4 and did not expect the meeting to be their last.

“Today, Ismail did not wait for me and I could feel his loss and absence.”