NAJIB CONVEYS CONDOLENCES TO GUS DUR'S FAMILY

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Razak Thursday
conveyed his condolences to the family of Abdurrahman Wahid and the people
of Indonesia over the death of the former Indonesian president.

The 69-year-old Indonesian leader, affectionately known as Gus Dur, died of
health complications in Jakarta yesterday evening.

"Gus Dur's impact on shaping Indonesia cannot be understated. Both statesman
and scholar, he strove to bring about change and reform that embodied Islamic
values," Najib said of Gus Dur's legacy, in his blog www.1malaysia.com.my.

"He was a man who was ahead of his time, and an adamant believer in the
importance of tolerance and unity and in the need to protect the weak, including
minorities," he said.

Najib said Gus Dur always pressed administrators to make processes simpler
for the benefit of the people.

"From his leadership of the Nahdlatul Ulama to his founding of the Wahid
Institute, his charitable work should also serve as an example for all to
follow," he added.

"May his beliefs and values continue to thrive in others in his memory."

Gus Dur served as Indonesia's fourth president, from 1991 to 2001, and was
the founder of the Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa (PKB), an Islamic party.
-- BERNAMA