Namat died at his daughter’s home in Kamunting, Perak at 5.30pm and will be laid to rest at the Sungai Petani Muslim cemetery tomorrow.

A Penang player from 1965 to 1975, he was capped 115 times for the country and last donned national colours at the Jakarta Anniversary Tournament in 1975.

He made his national team debut in 1968 when Malaysia emerged champion in the Merdeka tournament by beating Burma 3-0 in the final.

He captained the national team following the retirement of M Chandran after the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Earlier this year, FMT’s story on the former prisons officer’s frail condition prompted Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, to send his old friends to visit Namat at his daughter’s home in Taiping, Perak, during lockdown.

Abdah Alif, a fellow footballer and special officer to Sultan Abdullah, said then that the King instructed him to gather a few former players of the national team, and to convey his message to Namat to remain strong.

These included Abdah’s brother Yunus, former national skipper and president of ex-Internationals Football Association, Soh Chin Aun, Ahmad Yusof, former Penang players Khalil Hashim and Azdzmi Md Nor, Pahang FA’s Ramli Mahmud and Perak executive councillor Khairil Shahril.

Later, in an interview with FMT, Namat said his spirits were lifted seeing his fellow players from the 60s and 70s.

“It’s a big motivation for me to keep fighting. I’m thankful to the King for his big gesture and generosity.”