In a Facebook post, he said Bung had been a loyal comrade-in-arms.

“My heart broke the minute I received news of my friend’s passing – Bung Moktar Radin who returned to Rahmatullah early this morning,” he said.

“Today, I have lost a true friend who was close to my heart, a comrade-in-arms who always stood by my side, and a person who was always loyal to me through the good times and bad.

“It’s hard to find words that can describe this loss. We are left only with prayers, memories and the kindness that he left for us in this world.”

Barisan Nasional secretary-general Zambry Abdul Kadir meanwhile said that Bung had sacrificed much and contributed to both Sabah and Malaysia as a whole.

“Thank you for your service, sacrifices and contributions to the people, the state of Sabah and the country.

“Condolences to all of the family members. May they be granted patience and strength in facing this trial. I pray that his soul will be blessed and placed among the righteous,” he said in a Facebook post.

Bung, the Kinabatangan MP, died in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, at 1.46am.

He had defended his Lamag seat with a slim majority of just 153 votes in the Sabah election last week.