Malaysia's oldest practicing lawyer, Harold Leonard Wrigglesworth, has died following an attack in his home, according to the Malaysian Bar Council. He was 88.

Wrigglesworth, a bachelor who immigrated from England 60 years ago, died in a hospital on Friday, his close friend and fellow lawyer Benedict Cheang said on the council's Web site.

Associated Press quoted Cheang as saying that Wrigglesworth succumbed to injuries sustained when he was robbed and attacked in his home in Kota Bharu a week ago.

Wrigglesworth came to Malaysia from Yorkshire, England, in 1946 to serve as a representative of the British adviser.

Settled in Kelantan

He went on to read law in Malaysia and serve as a judge in various parts of the country before settling permanently in Kelantan.

"The Kelantan Bar is saddened by the demise of our most senior and well-known member,'' said committee member Indran Rajalingam. According to the Bar Council, Wrigglesworth had always taken a strong interest in the affairs of the organisation and the administration of justice in Malaysia.

"He was a gem of a man and lawyer, and an invaluable member of the Bar Council for so many years,'' senior lawyer Sulaiman Abdullah said in a tribute posted on the council's web site.

Wrigglesworth, who acquired Malaysian citizenship after the country achieved independence from Britain in 1957, authored a book detailing the Japanese occupation in Kelantan in 1941.

He will be buried within the compounds of his house today, according to the Bar Council.