KUALA LUMPUR: Former Federation of National Writers Association of Malaysia (Gapena) president Prof Tan Sri Dr Ismail Hussein died at University Malaya Medical Centre about 9.36pm yesterday due to old age.
He was 82.
Ismail, the first Malay to obtain a first class degree in Malay Studies at the University of Malaya, is survived by wife Puan Sri Rugayah Abdul Rashid and four children.
Gapena chief I Prof Datuk Dr Abdul Latif Abu Bakar said Ismail was a respected figure in the field of Malay literature in this country.
"He was a soft spoken man and was always ready to give assistance to others. In terms of leadership, he was true a leader who successfully led Gapena in championing Malay literature and culture in this country," he told Bernama.
Ismail, also a former chairman of the Department of Malay Studies at University of Malaya, was born on January 30, 1932 in Sungai Limau Dalam in Yan, Kedah.
He led Gapena from 1971 to 2013.
His body will be taken to the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Mosque, in Section 16, Petaling Jaya, at 10am today and will be buried at the Bukit Kiara Muslim cemetery around 11am.