Mahathir said Abdullah allowed Najib Razak to take over as prime minister in 2009 without causing any issues, after Barisan Nasional (BN) put up its worst electoral performance since 1969 in the 2008 general election.

“When his success was dwindling and many were demanding that he resign, he did not hesitate or cause trouble. He resigned and handed over the post to Najib.

“And that’s how we do it in Malaysia. Once we’ve stepped down, we should step aside easily without issues and leave it to our successors (to lead the nation).

“If this practice continues, Malaysia will be a peaceful country. That is the example Abdullah has shown,” Mahathir said after paying his last respects to Abdullah at the National Mosque here.

The former Langkawi MP said Abdullah’s biggest achievement as prime minister was leading BN to a thumping victory in the 2004 general election, where the coalition swept 198 of the 219 parliamentary seats up for grabs.

“It was the best electoral result in Malaysia’s history, with about 90% of all ballots cast in support of the government led by Abdullah.”

However, Mahathir said Abdullah faced “many issues” later on in his tenure, which led to the poor 2008 general election result.

Abdullah, whose health had been failing in recent years, died yesterday evening at the National Heart Institute. He was 85.

Separately, Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari said Abdullah had contributed greatly to the nation as a long-serving government administrator.

“The national honour conferred on him today is a mark of appreciation from the government and all Malaysians, especially the people of Selangor, for all his contributions and sacrifices in politics and governance.

“I want to extend my condolences to his family. May the good deeds he carried out during his administration and service be rewarded accordingly by Allah,” he told reporters after paying his last respects to the former prime minister.