Arwani Thomafi, secretary general of the United Development Party (PPP), to which Haz belonged, confirmed the former VP's death to ANTARA.
Thomafi further remarked that Haz's body was transported to his mosque in Bogor, West Java, for funeral preparations.
Haz was born in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, on February 15, 1940. He started his career as a teacher in 1960 before serving as a journalist for a local newspaper in Pontianak, the province capital. He rose the ranks to become the editor-in-chief of a provincial newspaper called Pawau.
His political career began when he was elected as a member of parliament for his home province in 1971. After representing PPP in the parliament for over two decades, he became its chairperson from 1998 to 2007.
Haz served as investment minister under Habibie's presidency in 1998 and later the coordinating minister for people's welfare under Abdurrahman Wahid's presidency in 1999 after a short stint as the House of Representatives' (DPR's) deputy speaker in the same year.
He reached the pinnacle of his political career after being elected as vice president for Megawati Soekarnoputri, who ascended to the presidency following Wahid's impeachment in July 2001.
He later became a presidential candidate in the 2004 election, running with former transport minister Agum Gumelar, yet was defeated in the first round. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Jusuf Kalla's ticket ultimately won the election in the second round.
Related news: Former vice president Hamzah Haz hospitalized
Translator: Narda Margaretha, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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