KUALA LUMPUR: Academician and musician Dr Wan Zawawi Wan Ibrahim, 75, died at 6.47am today of a heart attack.
His sister Datin Wan Hiyati Wan Ibrahim told Bernama that he collapsed while preparing to perform his Subuh prayers at his home in Section 11, Petaling Jaya.
Wan Zawawi is survived by his wife Noorshah Mohd Salleh, his United States-based singer-songwriter sons Rendra and Hameer Zawawi and his United Kingdom-based singer-songwriter daughter Kaiyisha Zawawi or Kai Khan.
Rendra said in a Facebook post today that he would be taking a flight home, but would not be able to attend his father's burial.
Wan Zawawi will be buried at the Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery this evening after prayers at Masjid At-Taqwa in Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
Wan Zawawi, an anthropologist who graduated from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia was best known for writing and composing songs with poetic lyrics and humanitarian messages that were performed by various artistes as well as himself especially during the 1980s.
One of his best known works was Perjalanan Hidup made popular by rock legend Datuk Ramli Sarip.