Earlier, the body was taken to the Al Ubudiah Mosque, Segambut Dalam, to be bathed and shrouded, followed by the funeral prayers, Bernama reported.

More than 30 people, including family members, relatives and friends, attended.

Among those present to pay their last respects at the mosque were the prime minister’s wife and Bandar Tun Razak MP, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, second finance minister Amir Hamzah Azizan and Football Association of Malaysia integrity committee chairman Aseh Che Mat.

Osman’s son, Dr Samsudin, told Bernama that his 93-year-old father died of old age at Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Ampang, at 10.20pm.

Osman had served as an administrative and diplomatic officer for 30 years and held several positions, including secretary-general in several ministries and director-general of the public services department until his retirement in 1985.

He was later active in the Malaysian Institute of Management and served as a board member and chairman of Southern Bank Berhad until 2005 and as Hai-O group chairman for 15 years.

Osman was also awarded the Royal Order of the Polar Star by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in 2009 in recognition of his services during the Japanese Red Army (JRA) hostage crisis in Malaysia in 1975.

He was one of the hostages flown to Tripoli, Libya, as part of a deal following a raid on the AIA building along Jalan Ampang in the city.

On Aug 5, 1975, five members of the JRA stormed the AIA building, which then housed the US consulate and other embassies. They seized over 50 hostages, including diplomats and employees.

The Japanese government eventually agreed to the group’s demands and released five JRA leaders, who were flown to Kuala Lumpur via a Japanese Airlines DC-8 plane.

The JRA released the hostages and Osman was among several representatives who followed the group to Tripoli. He returned home later, unharmed.