By Norshazlina Nor Azman
KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The country lost a gem in the Malay literary world with the passing of Dr Mohamed Ghazali Abdul Rashid or better known as Malim Ghozali PK today.
The late Malim Ghozali PK, 71, breathed his last at 11.20 am at the Serdang Hospital near here.
Born in Malim Nawar, Perak on March 4, 1949, he leaves behind two wives and six children.
His daughter Bee Ghazali, through a Facebook posting said the funeral prayers were held at Surau Ad Duha, Kota Damansara near here after the Asar prayers.
The late Malim Ghozali PK was the recipient of the Southeast Asian Writers Award (SEA Write Award) for 2013 and was named Perak state laureate in 2014.
“Today, the Penyair (the Association of Malaysian Poets) family is grieving,” said Penyair secretary general Tuan Asri Husin who is popularly know as Wacana Minda to Bernama.
Tuan Asri said Penyair would not have materialised if it had not been for the idea and wisdom of the country’s prominent writer and literary figure who was the founder and advisor of the association.
“Pak Malim is no stranger to us…we will continue his struggle to elevate the poetry world,” he said.
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) director-general Datuk Abang Sallehuddin Abang Shokeran said the country lost a prolific thinker whose contribution was immense in the world of writing especially literature.
He said Malim Ghozali PK had also received not only local but also international recognition when his book Tree of Sorrow was listed among 160 best novels in the world by the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.
Some 22 of his books had also been translated into various languages including English and Chinese.
Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu described the passing of Malim Ghozali PK as a great loss to the world of literature in the country.
His works will always be remembered as country’s great literary treasure, he said in a statement.
— NNN-BERNAMA