“On behalf of the Malaysian people, I wish to express our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the royal family, government and people of Thailand on the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
“King Bhumibol was a towering presence whose contribution to Thailand, and the rest of the region, is beyond words.
“We join the Thai people in mourning his loss,” said Najib in a Facebook posting today, Bernama reported today.
King Bhumibol, 89, passed away at the Siriraj Hospital at 3.52pm, as announced by the Royal Household Bureau today.
The King, who had been on the throne for 70 years since 1946, had been in the hospital receiving treatment since Oct 3, 2014.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Siamese community has extended its deep sympathies and condolences over the passing of the King.
Siamese representative in Parliament Senator Boon Som Inong said the late King would be remembered as a true statesman who served his country with distinction.
Boon said the King was also a master inventor, who had achieved many engineering feats in his lifetime to benefit the rural community in Thailand.
“The late King was revered as a wise leader, a beacon of strength and a symbol of unity of the people of Thailand.
“His kindness to his subjects and his intelligence propelled the kingdom to greater heights during his reign.
“The Siamese people and Malaysia join hands in prayers so that the late King Bhumibol rests in peace.
“On behalf of the Siamese people of Malaysia, I would also like to convey our deepest sympathies to the late King’s family in this sad time,” Boon said when contacted.
The King’s 64-year-old son, Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has been named as his successor.