KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran television newscaster, master of ceremonies and public-speaking trainer Raymond Goh died today at 10.40am, 13 days after he was reportedly hospitalised after suffering a stroke. He was 62.
Goh's widow Faridah Teh announced his death on behalf of their family in a statement released at 1.20pm.
The statement read: "It is with deep sorrow and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Raymond Goh @ Muhammad Zaman Goh Abdullah who touched the lives of thousands of people in the country.
"Raymond passed away peacefully this morning after bravely battling the effects of a stroke."
Faridah also said that funeral prayers for Goh would be held at Masjid At-Taqwa, Taman Tun Dr Ismail here after Asar prayers and he will be laid to rest at Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery.
"Once again, the family of Raymond would like to express our gratitude to his friends and supporters for the outpouring of love and support during this trying period."
Described by fans as "the man with the golden voice", Goh was a well-recognised personality who started his broadcasting career in his 20s, serving as a disc jockey in the early 1980s.
His flair for the English language and friendly personality caught the attention of television station TV3 which offered him a job as a newscaster for its English news bulletin in the second half of the 1980s.
Goh's newscasting career on TV3 spanned 14 years and he later hosted a radio show on television station Astro's Talk Radio in the early 2000s.
He also hosted international sports and current affairs shows on radio and television, and became a much-sought after master of ceremonies in various events.
Among the international sporting events he hosted included The World Cup Golf Championships, the World Cup and the Athens Olympic Games 2004.
Goh also served as a presenter for the RHB New Straits Times National Spell-It-Right (SIR) Challenge spelling competition.
Goh returned to TV3 in 2007 to anchor the Nightline midnight English news bulletin. He also lent his voice to various television advertisements and public service announcements.
Goh was a founding member of the Asian chapter of the World Customer Service Rating Board which issues the Customer Service Index Ratings worldwide.
Besides conducting English language hosting workshops, he also conducted Malay hosting workshops as he was fluent in both languages.
On Sept 1, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah wished Goh a speedy recovery.
Goh has more than 11,000 followers on Instagram.