King Malietoa Tanumafili II, one of the world's longest reigning monarchs, passed away at a hospital in Samoa, the prime minister's office said. He was 94.
Malietoa sat on the Samoan throne ever since the country, which lies west of the US territory of American Samoa, gained independence from New Zealand in 1962.
That made him the world's third longest reigning living monarch after Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has reigned since 1946 and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, who ascended to the throne in 1952.
PHOTO: AP
The king died on Friday night at Tupua Tamasese National Hospital in Apia where he had been staying for about a week. Details on the cause of death were not immediately available.
Vaasatia Poloma Komiti, chief executive officer of the prime minister's office, announced the king's passing on Saturday on state-run television.
The king will lay in state in Apia, the capital, on Thursday. A church service, to be lead by the National Council of Churches, is planned for Friday morning, Komiti said.
In American Samoa, the governor said Malietoa's passing was a loss not only for Samoa but for the US territory.
"His faith and love for his people helped light the flame of independence for Samoa and maintained a peaceful transition for Samoa from her difficult beginning," Governor Togiola Tulafono said.
"He was an icon of Samoan leadership, Samoan democracy, and Samoan compassion," Tulafono said.
Many American Samoans considered the king to be the father of the two Samoas and he was a frequent visitor to the territory's annual Flag Day Festivities.
New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark expressed her nation's sorrow at the death of Malietoa, noting he helped frame Samoa's Constitution prior to independence.
"Through his long reign as Head of State, Malietoa represented Samoa with wisdom, humor and insight," she said in a statement.
Responsibility for Samoa was handed to New Zealand in 1917 by the then League of Nations, after the islands were seized from its colonial power, Germany, during World War I.
The king succeeded to the Malietoa title in 1940, when his father passed away. He was appointed an advisor to the New Zealand governor in Samoa the same year.
Malietoa was made the joint head of state with Tupua Tamasese Meaole when Samoa gained independence from New Zealand in 1962 and he became sole head of state a year later when Tupua Tamasese passed away.
He held the post for life. His successor, however, will be elected by the legislature to a five year term as stipulated in the Samoan Constitution.
Malietoa was educated in Samoa at the government run Leififi School and attended St Stephens College and Wesley College in New Zealand.
Malietoa visited China on a state visit in 1976, and traveled to West Germany, South Korea, Japan and the UK. He also traveled to Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Hawaii, and also attended the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
He was among the foreign dignitaries that attended the funeral service of Japanese Emperor Hirohito.
In 1977, Queen Elizabeth II visited Samoa on the Royal Yacht Britannia for one day and presented Malietoa with the Collar Badge and Star of the Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George.
Malietoa is survived by two sons and two daughters. His wife Lili Tunu passed away in 1986.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
RSS