His wife, Zainiah Hussein, 77, said he was admitted to HKL last night after complaining of breathing difficulties.

She said she was informed of his death at 8.20 this morning.

“My husband had never complained of illness before, only in the last month he suffered a stroke. He was quite weak and his memory was affected,” she said when met by Bernama at Darul Ehsan Mosque, Taman Tun Abdul Razak, Ampang, near here.

The funeral prayer was performed at 4.25pm by more than 100 people led by the Imam of the mosque, Mohamad Khairi Hussein.

He was buried at Melaka Heroes’ Mausoleum after the Maghrib prayers.

Adib, who was born on July 2, 1941, leaves behind his wife and four children.

He held the position of the fifth Melaka chief minister from July 11, 1978, to April 26, 1982.

The experienced politician and corporate figure also held the posts of information minister and rural, cooperatives and entrepreneurship minister.

Meanwhile, a close family member, professor emeritus Shad Saleem Faruqi said Adib contributed immensely to the villagers in Kampung Kesang Tua, Jasin, Melaka, and the public.

“He helped a lot of people; he did a good job and was very dynamic in his work… He stepped away from politics in 1988 before venturing into business,” he said.