According to family members, Kadir passed away at around 7am.

Funeral prayers will be held at the Putrajaya mosque after zohor prayers, followed by burial at the national cemetery in Precinct 20, Putrajaya.

Kadir served as secretary-general of the foreign ministry from 1996 until his retirement in 2001.

He joined the Malaysian diplomatic service in 1968 and held various positions within the ministry in Kuala Lumpur, as well as Malaysian diplomatic missions in New York, Saigon, Brussels, Washington and Islamabad.

After retiring, Kadir was reappointed as ambassador-at-large based in the foreign ministry. He played a key role as head of the Malaysian team in the preparation of the case for Pulau Ligitan and Pulau Sipadan in the dispute with Indonesia.

As Malaysia’s agent at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), he led the legal team that successfully argued Malaysia’s case, resulting in a favourable outcome at the World Court in 2002.

He served as adviser for foreign affairs to the prime minister when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi assumed office on Oct 31, 2003.

In 2007, Kadir represented Malaysia as its agent at the ICJ in the dispute with Singapore over the sovereign ownership of Batu Puteh, Middle Rocks and South Ledge.