JAKARTA, Jan 26 (NNN-BERNAMA) -- Former long-serving Indonesian Foreign Minister Mochtar Kusumaatmadja has descriebed his late Malaysian counterpart, Ghazali Shafie, who died Sunday, as a top-notch diplomat.

During the time they served, Ghazali was seen as a highly able leader, said Mochtar, who was Indonesia's foreign minister for ten years from 1978 till 1988. Mochtar told Bernama in a telephone interview that Ghazali was known to be "the foreign minister who was able to pilot an aircraft".

Though never having flown in a plane piloted by Ghazali, Mochtar said he had seen for himself Ghazali's flying ability.

Mochtar, who now lives in Bogor in West Java, said during the time they were the top diplomats for their respective countries, Ghazali left a lasting impression on him, even though they were not close on the personal level.

"We are deeply saddened to the hear the news of his death. We hope his family members will be able to handle themselves with fortitude during this time bereavement," he said.

Ghazali's remains were laid to rest Monday at the Warriors Mausoleum in Kuala Lumpur, a place reserved for royalty and top national leaders.

As tributes poured in Monday for the late Ghazali, a civil servant turned politician, who also served variously as Minister With Special Functions, Information and Home Affairs (Interior), former deputy prime minister Musa Hitam described him as a dynamic person who came up with new ideas often, especially on administration.

Musa, who had been in the Cabinet with Ghazali in the 1970's and early 1980's, said although Ghazali did not hold any senior position in the government or party earlier, he nevertheless gave a lot of ideas.

"Ghazali was active in politics and often put forward his ideas convincingly and was thus able to provoke the thinking of the leadership," he told reporters at Ghazali's funeral at the Warriors' Mausoleum at the National Mosque in Kuala Lumpur.

Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Mukhriz Mahathir described Ghazali as a person highly skilled in diplomacy, saying he displayed this attribute in helping to calm the situation in the aftermath of the May 13 racial riots in 1969.

Ghazali became a member of the Cabinet in 1970 when he was appointed Minister of Special Functions. He had also held the Information portfolio. In 1973, then prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein appointed Ghazali as the Home Affairs Minister and he held the post until July 1981. From July 1981, Ghazali assumed the post of Foreign Minister and he resigned from the Cabinet in July 1984.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Koh Tsu Koon remembered Ghazali as a knowledgeable and intellectual "boss", adding that he had worked with Ghazali when he was a member of National Economic Consultative Council of which Ghazali was the chairman.

He said Ghazali was a strict but fair intellectual, and came up with a comprehensive report which formed the basis of Vision 2020 to make the country a developed nation by that year.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said Ghazali was someone who everybody should emulate. "I remember when he was working in the administration of my late father (the country's third prime minister Tun Hussein Onn), he would report to my father to discuss what should be done and what he would do every time before he did anything," he said.

Hishammuddin also paid tribute to Ghazali as a person with fresh ideas who always put forward constructive proposals. "His ideas and proposals were sometimes out of the box. He had also solved many issues pertaining to national security during his time as the Home Minister and I refer to his leadership for leads now that I hold this position (of Home Minister)," he said.

Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan said he knew Ghazali when he began service with the police force. "He was like a father to me. I will remember all that he had taught me," he said. -- NNN-BERNAMA

Source: http://www.namnewsnetwork.org/v2/read.php?id=108528