KUALA LUMPUR: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and the Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah have expressed their condolences to the family of Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Kamsiah Kamaruddin, who died yesterday.

In an Istana Negara Facebook post, Their Majesties expressed their sadness with her passing and hoped her family would be patient and resolute in facing the situation.

Their Majesties appreciated her service, deeds and sacrifices for the country and prayed for her soul to be blessed by Allah SWT and be placed among the righteous, according to the posting.

Al-Sultan Abdullah also described Kamsiah's passing as a great loss to the country, especially to the Foreign Ministry.

Kamsiah, 54, had served with Wisma Putra since 1992 and was appointed as Malaysia's Permanent Representative to ASEAN on July 16, 2019. She had also served in Thailand and Singapore.

The Perak-born had held various position, including Secretary of the American Division, Deputy Director-General of the ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat and Secretary at the European Bilateral Affairs Department.

Her husband is Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines Norman Muhamad.

-- BERNAMA