Belangsungkawa (Condolence)

Taken from: Berita Harian Online.

Pak Samad meninggal dunia

Oleh Saufi Hamzah
sofeeham@bharian.com.my

Tan Sri Abdul Samad Ismail

KUALA LUMPUR: Tokoh kewartawanan dan pejuang kemerdekaan, Tan Sri Abdul Samad Ismail (gambar) meninggal dunia di Pusat Perubatan Pantai di sini jam 5.58 petang semalam kerana jangkitan paru-paru.

Abdul Samad, 84, yang lebih dikenali sebagai Pak Samad, dimasukkan ke hospital itu sejak 24 Ogos lalu selepas mengalami kesukaran bernafas.

Anak kelahiran Singapura itu meninggalkan seorang balu, Puan Sri Habibah Hamid, 61, dua anak lelaki dan lapan anak perempuan selain 26 cucu serta empat cicit.

Habibah dan anak perempuannya, Nurazrina berada di sisi ketika beliau menghembuskan nafas terakhir.

Seorang lagi anaknya, Nuraina berkata, ahli keluarga sempat membacakan surah Yassin sebelum alat bantuan pernafasan yang digunakan Allahyarham terhenti.

"Kami sekeluarga reda atas pemergian bapa dan dia pergi dengan tenang. Ibu tiri dan adik saya dapat memasuki bilik bapa dan sempat membacakan surah Yasin dan selepas membuka matanya buat seketika, dia pergi buat selama-lamanya," katanya di luar Unit Rawatan Rapi (ICU), Pusat Perubatan Pantai.

Bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tun Musa Hitam yang melawat Allahyarham kira-kira jam 1.30 petang semalam disusuli bekas Menteri Kewangan, Tun Daim Zainuddin pada jam 4.30 petang adalah antara pelawat terakhir yangmenziarahinya.Isteri pertama Abdul Samad, Hamidah Hassan meninggal dunia pada 2 Jun 1990. Jenazah Abdul Samad dibawa ke rumahnya di No 2, Lorong 16/7C, Seksyen 16, Petaling Jaya dan dikebumikan selepas solat Jumaat hari ini di Tanah Perkuburan Islam Bukit Kiara.

Abdul Samad, yang memulakan kerjayanya sebagai pemberita Utusan Melayu pada 1940, begitu sinonim dengan sejarah persuratkhabaran dan sejarah negara.

Pemergiannya yang begitu hampir dengan sambutan ulang tahun kemerdekaan negara ke-51 amat dirasakan kerana Abdul Samad antara anggota delegasi negara ke London pada 1956 untuk rundingan kemerdekaan.

Taken from: The Star Online.

Thursday September 4, 2008 MYT 7:46:40 PM

Veteran journo Pak Samad dies

KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran journalist Tan Sri Abdul Samad Ismail (pic) died at the Pantai Medical Centre at 5.58pm Thursday after suffering from lung infection.

Abdul Samad, 84, affectionately known as Pak Samad, was admitted to the hospital on Aug 24 after complaining of difficulty breathing.

He leaves behind wife Puan Sri Habibah Hamid and 10 children.

His first wife Hamidah Hassan died June 2, 1990.

According to Bernama, Abdul Samad's body will be taken to his house at No 2, Lorong 16/7C, Petaling Jaya and it will be laid to rest after Friday prayers.

Pak Samad touched many lives through his writings which were radical at times but always thought-provoking.

Born and educated in Singapore, Samad's career in journalism started in 1940 after he finished his Senior Cambridge certificate. He started working as a cub reporter in the newly-established Malay daily, Utusan Melayu.

As a Malay nationalist, Samad fought for independence from the British through his writings and the newspaper sympathetically covered news of student movements and labour agitations.

He also joined hands with left wing Malay nationalists in pushing for de-colonisation and met with anti-colonialists of all races including Indonesian revolutionaries fighting for their own independence against the Dutch.

He went on to head Berita Harian and later on The New Straits Times group as its managing editor. He was arrested in 1976 under the Internal Security Act. He was only released in 1981 after which he re-joined the NSTP group as its editorial adviser. He retired from journalism in 1988 and was honoured by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 1992.

He was also awarded the title Pejuang Sastera (Literature Champion) for his accomplishment in the literary and journalistic field.

In 1994, he received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communications Arts in recognition of his role in championing national independence, cultural revival and democratic nation building.

Some of the novels he has written include Kail Panjang Sejengkal (1963), Patah Sayap Terbang Jua (1966), Tembok Tidak Tinggi; Orang Jauh (1967), Menduga Lautan Dalam; Menimba Yang Jernih (1968), Sutinah (1975) and Hud (1995).

p/s: Al-Fathihah for him... may Allah place him among His devoted followers..Amin.