- Read tributes to Yasmin on www.thestar.com.myPublished: Saturday July 25, 2009 MYT 3:06:00 AM
Award winning director Yasmin Ahmad dies
By NURBAITI HANIM and ZALINAH NOORDIN
KUALA LUMPUR: Award winning film director Yasmin Ahmad has died from massive bleeding in the brain at the Damansara Specialist Hospital.
She died at 11.25pm yesterday following a surgery due to her collapse at the Seri Pentas on Thursday.
Yasmin never regained consciousness after being admitted into the intensive care unit. Burial is scheduled for today expected to be before zohor.
The 51-year-old creative director was famed for her advertisements and films capturing the essence of racial harmony in Malaysia.
Family members, relatives, loved ones and friends, including artists had gone to the hospital on hearing about her death.
Fatimah Abu Bakar, an actress and a close friend of Yasmin, and Media Prima International chief executive officer Datuk Seri Farid Ridzuan acted as the spokespersons for the distraught family.
Fatimah’s daughter Sharifah Amani Syed Zainal Rashid had acted in Yasmin’s two famous movies Sepet and Gubra.
Yasmin will be buried after Zohor prayers although at press time the location of the burial has yet to be determined.
Her body will be taken to the SS19 Mosque in Subang Jaya for prayers before that.
A large group of luminaries from the local movie and television scene gathered at the hospital the moment they heard about the death of Yasmin.
Although distraught, those present paid tribute to the award-winning director. “We would come cross a few great people in our time on earth. Yasmin was one of them.
“She wasn’t an easy person to live or work with, but that was only because she was so talented. “She had a big heart and vision that we usually don’t understand. That was why people misunderstood her. But she never intended any malice,” said Fatimah.
She added Yasmin’s films had always been about love and forgiveness because that was the way she was brought up by her parents.
Sharifah Amani looked distraught as she stood by at her mother’s side. She refused to talk to the press.
Fatimah and Farid acted as the spokespersons for Yasmin’s family to announce her death and details of her funeral.
TV host Aznil Nawawi, said he had always admired Yasmin’s work although he never had a chance to work with her.
“She possessed the knack on how to capture the essence of Malaysia through her movies and commercials.
“I last saw her when she was promoting her movie Talentime at Radio Era office,” he added.
Suria FM chief executive officer Engku Imran Engku Zainal Abidin described Yasmin’s death as a great loss – not only to the entertainment and movie industry, but to the nation as a whole.
“Her movies are watched by all races because they can all relate to the messages conveyed. “We have lost a great, intelligent and creative director,” he added.
Will be missing her movies and advertisements....
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