CYCLING LEGEND SAHARUDIN DIES AT 84

KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysian sports lost another icon when cycling legend Saharudin Jaffar died at 2.17 pm today. He was 84.

His eldest son, 55-year-old Suhaimi Saharudin, confirmed the news when contacted by Bernama, adding that his father had experienced complications while undergoing dialysis treatment this morning.

"My father went for his usual dialysis treatment at around 9 or 10 am but, upon reaching, he fainted. The nurse immediately called for an ambulance to take him to the Shah Alam Hospital.

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"When the doctor arrived, he said my father's heart had stopped. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, and my father was pronounced dead at about 2.17 pm,” he said.

Suhaimi admitted that the death of his father, who made history by bagging Malaysia's first gold medal in cycling at the 1965 Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games (held here), had a profound impact, especially since tomorrow would have marked his parents’ 58th wedding anniversary.

"My mother, Hasmah Ibrahim is now 81. Despite his age, my father used to fast and exercise and even enjoyed gardening,” he recalled.

Saharudin's body will be taken to the surau in Section 8, Shah Alam for funeral prayers before being laid to rest at the Muslim Cemetery in Section 21, Shah Alam.  

-- BERNAMA