KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 ― Former defence minister Tengku Tan Sri Ahmad Rithauddeen Tengku Ismail died at his residence in Jalan Duta here at 8.43pm due to old age.

He was 94.

The son of the Umno veteran, Tengku Farith said his father who was fondly known "Ku Deen” suffered a stroke two weeks ago and was treated at a private hospital and allowed to discharge.

"But this morning he experienced breathing difficulties before passing away,” he said when contacted by Bernama here last night.

Tengku Farith said the remains of his father would be brought to the Federal Territory Mosque at Jalan Duta at 8.30am (April 30) for prayers at the mosque.

However, he said the location of his father’s burial has not yet been decided to be at the National Mosque or Bukit Kiara cemetery.

Apart from being Defence Minister from 1987 to 1990, he was also appointed as Minister with Special Functions to assist Tun Abdul Razak in the Foreign Ministry in 1973, and was later appointed Minister of Information and Special Functions in 1974).

He was later appointed Foreign Minister (1975), Minister of Trade and Industry (1981), reappointed as Foreign Minister (1984) and Information Minister (1986).

In 1970, he had held the post of Deputy Defence Minister followed by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in 1972.

In the political arena, the late Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen was former Umno Disciplinary Board chairman in 2001 and was a member of the Supreme Council (1987).

The former Kelantan Umno chairman was also made chairman of the Farmers’ Organisation Authority in 1973 apart from being the former president of the United Nations Association of Malaysia (UNAM).

His service in education was as Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Pro Chancellor in 1992 apart from serving as the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) deputy president in 1988. ― Bernama