IPOH: Former Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan died at the age of 78 today.

He breathed his last at 3 am at a private hospital in Kajang, Selangor.

Orang Besar Jajahan Kinta Toh Muda Orang Kaya Kaya Panglima Kinta Seri Amar Bangsa DiRaja Datuk Ab Wahab Azizul Hassan confirmed the news, saying that Abdullah Fadzil had also suffered from Alzheimer's for the past five years.

Ab Wahab said the remains of Abdullah Fadzil would be laid to rest at Masjid Panglima Kinta cemetery in Ipoh after the Zohor prayers.

Abdullah Fadzil had served as Deputy Foreign Minister in 1987 before having his portfolio changed to Deputy Defence Minister in 1995.

He was also the president of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) from 1993 to 2000.

In 2015, the media reported that Abdullah Fadzil went missing in Bukit Tunku, Kuala Lumpur, and was found in the afternoon of the same day, as he was having dementia.

-- BERNAMA