PETALING JAYA: Beloved actress-singer Adibah Noor has passed away after a battle with ovarian cancer. She was 51.
Actor Datuk AC Mizal’s wife confirmed the news of Adibah’s death yesterday.
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“Yes, it is true that Adibah Noor passed away at a hospital. I got the news from Datuk Zainal Abidin’s wife as we were close friends with Adibah,” Datin Emylia Rosnaida told mStar, The Star’s Malay-language portal.
Celebrities and friends expressed sadness and shock over Adibah’s passing.
ALSO READ: Malaysian singer-actress Adibah Noor passes away
“I’m in shock. True shock. Every time I spoke about @adibahnoormohdomar I always, always declared she was one of the BEST and TRUEST vocalists EVER.
“She did @drjezaminelim and myself the honour of performing at our wedding in 2010 and it was a moment that we will cherish forever,” comedian Harith Iskander wrote on Instagram.
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“In her career, she was a perfectionist sometimes and wouldn’t stand for fools – but she was always professional and delivered when called upon,” he continued.
Harith and Adibah worked together in the late Yasmin Ahmad’s movie Talentime.
“I am just so shocked! She’s such a gem. My heart goes out to her family,” said actress Fatimah Abu Bakar.
“She was smart, beautiful and sassy. The fact that she was still bravely working a few days ago before her passing breaks me,” actress Sofia Jane said.
Gone too soon: Adibah passed away at age 51 after a battle with ovarian cancer.
On June 8, Adibah had posted a photo of herself on Instagram, working as an emcee at an event in Selangor.
“She was an incredibly talented person. She could sing, she could act and to top it all off she was incredibly kind.
“She appreciated you as a person and whenever I bumped into her, she was always ready to greet you with a hug, smile and you would feel the warmth of her gentle energy. She will be missed,” said actress Susan Lankester.
DJ Lin from Suria FM remembers Adibah as a kind-hearted colleague when she used to host the morning show on the radio station.
“The Suria family sends condolences to Adibah’s family. She was part of our family.
“Although our shifts were different – she worked in the morning while my show was at night – we did get the chance to know one another during meetings and ground events. She would always bring food for us at these meetings. She was just so kind,” said DJ Lin.
Born in Kuala Lumpur, Adibah worked as an English teacher after graduating from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Teaching of English as a Second Language.
After a stint in teaching, Adibah moved on to a corporate job.
She told The Star in a 2012 interview that her mastery of the English language helped her land a job easily in public relations.
“English opens up many doors in the job market and the opportunities for a person with good command of the language are numerous,” she said,
She then broke into the entertainment scene.
Adibah has acted in over 15 movies, including Sepet, Gubra and Mukhsin, many TV dramas and released three albums. She was also active in the local theatre scene.
Over on social media, tributes poured in for Adibah, with many people remembering her talent and kindness.
“Thanks for gracing us with your iconic iklan comedic chops, angelic voice, relatable tweets and all around positivity.
“You’ll be missed Kak Adibah Noor. Alfatihah,” said Aizad Aslam.
“Adibah Noor was one of the reasons why I love learning English back then in school years,” said Twitter user Izz.
“Thank you for what you’ve done to entertain us; wish you were still alive to see the outpouring of tributes shared by the many people whose souls you have touched during your decades of making art,” said Faizal Hamssin.
