Former Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad has passed away. He died at 7:10 PM local time on Monday at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur, according to a report by Reuters.

Abdullah Ahmad, popularly known as “Pak Lah,” served as Malaysia’s Prime Minister from 2003 to 2009. He was 85 years old.

The news of his death was confirmed in an Instagram post by his son-in-law and former Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin. He mentioned that the former Prime Minister had been admitted to the hospital on Sunday morning due to breathing difficulties.

In a statement, the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur said Abdullah Ahmad was taken directly to the intensive care unit upon arrival at the hospital. Despite the doctors' best efforts, they were unable to save him.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has expressed his condolences over Abdullah Ahmad’s death.

It is worth noting that Abdullah became Prime Minister after Mahathir Mohamad stepped down in 2003, following 22 years in power.