KOTA KINABALU, Oct 27 ― Hundreds of people filled the Fook Lu Siew funeral parlour outside the city centre here to say goodbye to the late Tan Sri Datuk Henry Chin.

The sombre air of mourning and respect conveyed the esteem with which the decorated 79-year-old former Kuala Lumpur police chief was held in the community.

Politicians from both divides including Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, troops of policemen led by deputy state police commissioner Datuk Awang Sahari Em Hadzeer, businessmen and the public all attended to pay their respects.

The service, which started at 9am, saw the funeral parlour filled to the brim, forcing many to sit along corridors outside and in the next room for the duration of the service.

Chin’s wife, Puan Sri Shirley Cheng Hua Chien, 72, their two children, Alex and Melissa, and four grandchildren were clad in the Chinese traditional mourning colours of black and white, with pieces of cloth pinned to their sleeve.

Alex delivered a tearful eulogy with his sister by his side, extolling his father’s virtues as a responsible family man who had been spirited and caring to the last.

"He took it upon himself to make sure his friends and family were always looked after. His favourite words were ‘don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” he said.

Close family friend and former Sabah karate champion, Johnny Chong, also spoke of Chin’s legacy to the community.

Relatives, friends and co-workers of the late Tan Sri Henry Chin came to pay respects to him and his family at his funeral at the Fook Lu Siew funeral parlour in Kota Kinabalu, October 27, 2016.

After the eulogies, visitors were invited to say their final goodbyes to Chin, who was laid out in a white, glass-covered coffin. Members of the Sabah police service also bowed in unison.

His body was then taken for burial at the Chinese cemetery along Mile 5 of Jalan Tuaran.

Chin, who was born in Sarawak but resided in Sabah, had been policeman who rose up the ranks during the colonial era. He also served as state deputy police commissioner until he retired in 1993.

After his retirement, he remained active in the community, serving as a board members on several associations and boards, including the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation. Universiti Malaysia Sabah and the Sabah Golf and Country.

He had also been a key member of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in the state.

Chin died at the University of Malaya Medical Centre (PPUM), in Kuala Lumpur on October 23 after suffering a stroke. He was in the capital for a board meeting.