KOTA BARU: A former sub-editor of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), Sulaiman Jaafar, 65, passed away due to a heart attack while receiving treatment at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital here at 3.50pm on Friday.
His wife, Zaharah Shuud, 54, said that Sulaiman was hit by a motorcycle ridden by a student while he was walking home after performing the dawn prayer on Monday, causing fractures and cracks in his spine and neck.
“The doctor said he needed to undergo spinal surgery, which would have cost around RM10,000.
“However, during the surgery, he suffered a heart attack and passed away,” she told Bernama at the hospital’s Forensic Unit.
Zaharah said that the funeral prayers will be held at Masjid Cherang and his remains will be laid to rest at the Kampung Tapang Cemetery tonight.
The late Sulaiman worked at Bernama from around 1979 to 1999, prior to joining The New Straits Times as a specialist writer before opting for the Voluntary Separation Scheme in 2018.
He is survived by his wife and eight children.
Earlier, News Officer Mohd Noor Iqram Rosli, representing the Kelantan Bernama Bureau Chief, presented a contribution from the Kasih@Hawana Fund to the late Sulaiman’s family.
The Kasih@Hawana Fund, established in conjunction with the 2023 National Journalists’ Day celebration, aims to support journalists and media personnel, both still in service or retired, who are ailing or in need of assistance.
The fund was initiated by the Communications Ministry and is implemented through Bernama. – Bernama
