KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — There are no permanent enemies or friends in politics, only interests.

Today, that saying was reflected in the gathering of political leaders from Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) at the Saidina Umar Al Khattab Mosque in Bukit Damansara here as they bid farewell to thinker and fellow politician Tan Sri Sanusi Junid.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Johari Baharum, former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, former Perak mentri besar Tan Sri Tajol Rosli, former Melaka mentri besar Datuk Seri Ali Rustam, and former Cabinet members Tan Sri Rais Yatim and Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar were among the hundreds of people who turned up for funeral prayers that started at 11.30am.

They discarded their political mantles and mingled freely with Opposition leaders Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and later DAP vice-chairman Teresa Kok and Batu MP Chua Tian Chang.

Sanusi, who died at his home in Pantai Dalam here before dawn today, was described as a great man who was very philosophical and an intellectual thinker by Muhyiddin.

“He had one of the best brains in the country. He was remarkable in the political arena and government.

“We can never find another Sanusi Junid,” said the former deputy prime minister-turned-Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) president of his former Cabinet and fellow party colleague.

Sanusi had been the federal minister of regional and rural development in 1981 and later minister of agriculture in 1986 before serving as Kedah mentri besar from 1996 to 1999. He left Umno last year for PPBM and became the Opposition party’s disciplinary board chairman.

Muhyiddin added that Sanusi was a polyglot who mastered Dutch and Tamil besides English and Bahasa Melayu.

Ahmad Shabery Cheek recalled the conversations he had with Sanusi when they performed the Haj together a few years ago.

“I met him there and spoke to him. I learnt from his political perspective and the ideas he gave me are still fresh in my memory.

“I would like to express my condolences to the family and I believe his soul is blessed by Allah,” he said.

Many Muslims believe that a person is especially blessed if he dies on a Friday, which is seen as holy in Islam.

PKR vice-president Chua said he was still in shock over Sanusi’s death as they had shared the same stage last night for the launch of the PH election manifesto.

“Sanusi was one of the most intellectual and philosophical politicians and he has interacted with me a lot since the formation of Bersatu. And he is also a walking encyclopaedia in terms of history, anecdotes of political events. So it is a pity that we lost him.

“I wanted to hear more stories from him and to know about Malaysian history better. I feel sad to have lost a friend, comrade in the struggle as well as Malaysia has lost a great leader.

“Regardless which side of the fence we are on, together we will miss him and his humorous wit,” said the politician better known as Tian Chua.

Professor Razali Nawawi, the first president of the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim), remembered Sanusi as a man ahead of his time.

“He was my deputy back when I was Abim president. When he became agriculture minister, he wanted to promote coconuts by promoting coconut water. Many people laughed at him,” Razali said of Sanusi’s plan to help farmers earn more money.

“And now, look at the price of a coconut. We are even importing coconuts. Before we implemented his idea, coconuts costs only around 5 to 10 sen. He created a new trend!”

Former Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Annuar Zaini credited Sanusi for inspiring him to read a lot.

“He was a fast and avid reader. Whatever little time he had when we travelled together in the course of our work, he would stop at bookshops. In the early 1980s, I was stunned to see someone, more so a Malay politician, purchasing books worth more than RM1,000 for each visit.

“He paid using an Amex credit card. At times, when we had discussions preparing his speeches, even for parliamentary debates, he would lay his books on the table and make references,” said Annuar who was with the National Security Council when Sanusi was deputy home minister.

Sanusi’s son Akramshah had led the funeral prayers.

Earlier, he shared that his father had appeared well this morning before the subuh or dawn prayers.

“It was just yesterday he went for a medical check-up and it was ‘clean’. But Alhamdullillah he passed away peacefully on a Friday while waiting to perform his prayers. My mother was the one who checked on him because they wanted to pray together,” Akramshah said.

Sanusi was buried at the Tanah Perkuburan Islam Bukit Kiara at about 3.30pm.

Nearly 100 family, friends and those wishing to pay their final respects attended the burial service.