KUALA LUMPUR: Esteemed veteran journalist and celebrated author Rehman Rashid passed away this morning. He was 62.
Rehman had been in poor health and bedridden since suffering a heart attack in January.
His family members notified the media of his passing at around 8am.
His younger brother, Rafique Rashid told Bernama that Rehman died at about 6.30am at the Selayang Hospital.
"At the moment, the actual cause of death has yet to be ascertained but we suspect it had something to do with the heart attack that he had previously," he said.
Rafique said his brother's remains were expected to be taken to Kuala Kubu Bharu to be burried at Tanah Perkuburan KKB around 4.30pm today.
It was reported that Rehman suffered a heart attack while out cycling earlier this year and had been warded at the Selayang Hospital ever since.
Rehman was born in Taiping, Perak, in 1955 and received his education at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar, before furthering his studies at University College Swansea Wales.
He began his career as a journalist in 1981 at the New Straits Times, and later, served as associate editor and columnist, before joining Asiaweek in Hong Kong as a senior writer.
Rehman was named the Malaysian Press Institute's Journalist of the Year in 1985, and Bermuda's Print Journalist of the Year in 1991.
He had also written several books such as the Small Town in 2016, Pangkor: Treasure of the Straits and Peninsula: A story of Malaysia and A Malaysian Journey and was a recipient of the Journalist of the Year Award for 1985 from the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI).