Former senator Tunku Abdul Aziz dies at 89

Former DAP vice-chairperson Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim passed away earlier today at the age of 89.

His death was announced by his nephew Tengku Azman Zainal Abidin in an Instagram post earlier today.

Tunku Aziz joined the DAP in August 2008 and, a year later, he was appointed senator representing Penang, giving him the distinction of being the first DAP senator.

He ended his brief political career when he quit DAP in 2012 and emerged as one of the party’s staunch critics.

A distant member of the Kedah royal family, Tunku Aziz began his career in the police force before joining Guthrie Corporation and later served as an adviser with Bank Negara.

He was also instrumental in setting up the anti-graft NGO Transparency-International Malaysia in 1998 and held the role of its vice-chairperson until 2002.

Prior to his political debut, Tunku Aziz served as a special adviser to Kofi Annan, the then United Nations secretary-general, from February 2006 to January 2007.

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