Ex-minister dies

JAKARTA: Former state secretary Saadillah Mursyid passed away on Thursday aged 68 at Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta, where he was being treated for an undisclosed illness.

His nephew Humaidi Syukeri, who is acting head of the South Kalimantan education office, said his uncle died at around 5:50 p.m. and would be buried at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in Jakarta on Friday.

Saadillah is survived by a wife, three children and six grandchildren.

Saadillah, a graduate of the Teachers Training Institute (IKIP) in Malang, East Java, served as state secretary during the Soeharto regime. He was also once a senior official at the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).

He was also an activist of the Muslim Student Association (HMI).

While hospitalized, Saadillah was visited by Soeharto and former justice minister Ismail Saleh and former finance minister JB Sumarlin. --Antara