Mak Yong dance expert Ghulam-Sarwar passes away at 83

GEORGE TOWN: Traditional Malay Mak Yong dance expert Professor Ghulam-Sarwar Yousof has passed away. He was 83.

His wife Hajrah Beebee, 80, found that he had passed away in his sleep in the morning at their Tanjung Tokong home.

Ghulam's son lawyer Malik Imtiaz, 52, confirmed that his father had died around 9am Thursday (Nov 10), an online portal quoted him as saying.

The Taiping born professor leaves behind two children and four grandchildren.

Ghulam's close friend Datuk Anwar Fazal said the scholar was spending time relocating from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, renting a space to be made into a library-cum-research centre.

"When I last met him, we spoke about his collection as he was eager to start a cultural programme at a local university.

Anwar said Ghulam's death was a great loss to the country.

Ghulam was instrumental in nominating the Mak Yong dance as a world heritage in Unesco's Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity category in 2005.

He is also credited in setting-up the performing arts programme in Universiti Sains Malaysia in 1970, which was the first of its kind in the country.

He was a professor in theatre studies in Universiti Malaya and taught English at the International Islamic University of Malaysia.

He was laid to rest at the Perak Road cemetery.