KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — The late Tengku Datuk Abdul Ghafar Mohamed who has played an important role in the negotiation between the Philippines government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was passionate and dedicated to find peace in Mindanao. 

A spokeperson for the Prime Minister’s office said the Malaysian facilitator in the peace deal who died today, was someone who was never tired of challenges and failures.

"His passion and relentless efforts to find peace despite difficulties and challenges received accolades from the Philippine government and Bangsamoro as well as the international community,” he said in a statement here tonight.

Tengku Abdul Ghafar who became the facilitator in 2010 played an important role in the negotiation with the signing of Comprehensive Agreement of Bangsamoro (CAB) in 2014.

His last contribution was the successful formal launching of the implementation stage of the Mindanao peace process between the Philippines government and MILF on Aug 13, 2016, he said.

"He was a man with the vision and aspiration for a fair deal for the Philippine government and Bangsamoro. Malaysia has lost a leader that has given most of his life to public service,” he said.

The former deputy director general of the Prime Minister’s Department Research Division and the secretary to the National Security Council died at his home in Bangsar South at 9am today at the age of 67.

He left behind a wife, Datin Homeira Babarnarchi and three children, Tengku Shila, Tengku Shariar and Tengku Shahpur.

Tengku Abdul Ghafar had also served at the Malaysian High Commission in Islamabad and Malaysian Embassy in Manila and Bangkok. — Bernama