VETERAN ACTOR LOSES HOME TO FIRE ON SECOND DAY OF RAYA

KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 (Bernama) -- Veteran actor, Nu'man Mohd Salleh or better known as Charlie, 71, suffered a misfortune when his rented house in Gombak Setia, near here, was destroyed in a fire on the second day of Hari Raya, on Tuesday.

At about 11 am, Charlie noticed the back of his house was on fire and immediately tried to put out the flame, but his efforts were not enough to save the home he had lived in for the past 13 years.

"It happened while I was relaxing in the living room, while the children were playing on the phone. When I went to the kitchen, I saw the fire starting to spread at the back of the house, believed to have started from the neighbour's store.

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"I just had time to order the children out of the house to save themselves before the situation got worse. I tried to put it out by spraying water and asking for help from the public, but the efforts were not enough,” he said.

He said this when met at the Ziarah Seni Madani Programme, which was led by the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) chairman, Datuk Hans Isaac, today.

Charlie and his six children, aged between 5 and 13 are now temporarily housed at the Gombak Setia Welfare Association Hall.

Besides Charlie's residence, two neighbouring houses were also destroyed in the fire.

Meanwhile, Hans said his team, which expressed sympathy over the incident that befell the veteran actor, promised to find a way to help.

"Charlie is part of the country's arts industry and has contributed a lot to the field of acting.

"I will try to help, including contacting the Menteri Besar of Selangor Datuk Seri Amiruddin Shaari who is also the Member of Parliament for Gombak to see what assistance can be provided, including the possibility of obtaining a home for him and the children," he said.

-- BERNAMA