Freedom fighter dies aged 76

Freedom fighter dies aged 76

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Ahmad Zaidi Adruce Mohammed Noor, a leading anticolonial activist who pressed for Sarawak's inclusion in Malaysia and ended up as governor of the eastern state, died on Tuesday aged 76.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad led official mourners in paying last respects to Ahmad Zaidi before his body was flown home to the state capital Kuching, Bernama news agency reported.

Ahmad Zaidi was first appointed Sarawak's Yang Dipertua Negeri (governor), a largely ceremonial post, in 1985 and reappointed four times.

Born in Sibu in the state, he was an educationist with a master's degree from Edinburgh University, a politician and a staunch opponent of colonial rule.

From 1945-1947 he fought with the armed forces in neighboring Indonesia against Dutch rule, the agency said.