Former foreign minister and seasoned diplomat Ali Alatas died Thursday morning of a heart attack at Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth hospital, aged 76. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Alatas had been admitted with heart problems to Medistra hospital in Jakarta on Nov. 20, but was transported to Singapore four days later.

His body was flown to Jakarta on Thursday evening and taken to his family home in Kemang, South Jakarta. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will lead the military burial procession Friday morning at the Kalibata Heroes’ Cemetery in South Jakarta.

Alatas was a recipient of the Adi Mahaprana and Republik Indonesia Utama honorary award, presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said.

The country’s longest-serving foreign minister, his final duty to the state was in his role as foreign affairs advisor to Yudhoyono.

President Yudhoyono, speaking at Alatas’s family home late Thursday, said the diplomat was “one of the country’s best men” and was “a loved and respected statesman worldwide”.

“In his capacity as a presidential advisor, he gave so much with his constructive and critical views. He always acted according to his place,” Yudhoyono said.

As an example, he cited the sometimes testy relations between Indonesia and Malaysia, saying Ali had “smartly managed the strategic relationship using a cultural, rather than political, approach”.

“And when he was no longer active as a diplomat, he remained in touch with local and international diplomats,” Yudhoyono added.

Born on Nov. 4, 1932, in Jakarta, Ali graduated from the Academy for the Indonesian Foreign Service in 1954 and from the Faculty of Law at the University of Indonesia in 1956. He served as foreign minister from 1988 until 1999.

He served in Geneva as Indonesian ambassador to the United Nations from 1975 to 1978 and in New York from 1982 to 1988 — a path some believe constituted a strong candidacy for UN secretary-general.

However, his career was stained by the human rights debacle centering on East Timor’s vote for independence from Indonesia in 1999, in which violence between lead by an Indonesian-backed militia against pro-independent ralliers left more than 1,000 East Timorese dead.

Attending Thursday’s service were, among others, Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, State Secretary Hatta Rajasa, former vice president Try Sutrisno, Trade Minister Mari E. Pangestu, visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, visiting Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo and former environment minister and presidential advisor Emil Salim.

Hundreds of bouquets were laid on the street leading to his family home, and neighbors packed the area to pay their respects.

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