MELAKA: Former stringer Jaafar Ne’emat died at Alor Gajah Hospital this morning. He was 81.

His son, Adi Lodfi, 54, said Jaafar breathed his last at 8.30 am after suffering a heart attack at about 3 am.

“Although he was frail, my father had been doing fine throughout Ramadan until last night when he suddenly suffered a heart attack,” he told Bernama.

Jaafar’s remains will be bathed and shrouded at Alor Gajah Hospital before being taken to the family home in Kampung Melaka Pindah. He is expected to be laid to rest after zuhur prayers at Masjid Ubaidah.

Fondly known as Cikgu Jaafar, he was involved in journalism for two decades and had served as a stringer with Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian and Melaka Hari Ini.

He also led the Melaka Media Club as president from 2010 to 2015.

The father of five was diagnosed with heart disease in May 2023 and had since been receiving follow-up treatment at Alor Gajah Hospital and the National Heart Institute.

Jaafar also received aid from the Tabung Kasih@HAWANA, which was presented by HAWANA 2024 project director Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, who was also Bernama’s deputy editor-in-chief (News Service) (now editor-in-chief), on Jan 26 last year.