M'sian Malay literary world mourns death of Malim Ghozali PK

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The country lost a gem of the Malay literary world with the death of Dr Mohamed Ghazali Abdul Rashid, better known as Malim Ghozali PK, Thursday (June 18).

The late Malim Ghozali PK, 71, breathed his last at 11.20am Thursday at the Serdang Hospital near here.

Born in Malim Nawar, Perak, on March 4,1949, he leaves behind two wives and six children.

His daughter Bee Ghazali, in a Facebook post, said the funeral prayers were held at Surau Ad Duha, Kota Damansara, near here after the Asar prayers.

The late Malim Ghozali PK was the recipient of the South-East Asian Writers Award (SEA Write Award) for 2013 and was named Perak state laureate in 2014.

"Today, the Penyair (the Malaysian Poets Association) family is grieving, ” said Penyair secretary-general Tuan Asri Husin, who is popularly know as Wacana Minda, to Bernama.

Asri said Penyair would not have materialised if it had not been for the Malim Ghozali PK's ideas.

The prominent writer and literary figure was the founder and advisor of the association.

"Pak Malim is no stranger to us... we will continue his struggle to elevate the poetry world, ” Asri said.

Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) director-general Datuk Abang Sallehuddin Abang Shokeran said the country lost a prolific thinker whose contribution was immense in the world of writing especially literature.

He said Malim Ghozali PK had also received not only local but also international recognition when his book "Tree of Sorrow" was listed among the 160 best novels in the world by the International Impac Dublin Literary Award.

Some 22 of his books had also been translated into various languages including English and Chinese.

Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu described the passing of Malim Ghozali PK as a great loss to the world of literature in the country.

"His works will always be remembered as part of the country’s great literary treasures," he said in a statement Thursday. - Bernama