Jazz pioneer and ‘60s icon Julie Sudiro passes away at 80

LEGENDARY singer Datin Paduka Julie Sudiro, 80, tragically passed away despite initially showing signs of recovery from a lung infection, Berita Harian reported.

The news was made public by Persatuan Karyawan Malaysia president Datuk Freddie Fernandez, who confirmed Julie’s death with her youngest son Jose Irmanto Sudiro Soliano, 45.

“I was first informed (of her passing) by my artiste friend Rozita Rohaizad, after which I called Jose to confirm the sad news.

“Julie’s passing is heart-breaking news for all artistes nationwide. May her soul rest in peace,” he told the daily.

Julie, whose real name was Raden Juariah Raden Sudiro, was considered one of the greatest jazz singers in Malaysian history, producing smash hit tunes in the 1960s in both Malay and English.

She was admitted to the Universiti Teknologi Mara Hospital in Puncak Alam, Selangor on Jan 9 after her oxygen levels dropped rapidly.

> Villagers in Kampung Batu 9 near Chukai, Terengganu urged authorities to repair a road that connects to a nearby town, reported Utusan Malaysia.

The daily reported that a portion of the road shoulder had collapsed, turning it into a single lane road.

A resident, Mohd Azlan Azri, 45, said the road needed to be repaired as soon as possible for the safety of motorists, adding that it was the main route connecting his village and the nearby Kampung Payoh to the town of Chukai.

“The road is extremely perilous especially at night, as motorists from both directions converge and take turns using the only one usable lane along that stretch,” he said.

Another frequent road user, Wong Kim Siah, 60, said he was worried that the entire section of the road might collapse if repairs were not carried out soon.

“Many lorries use this road and I’m worried that their heavy load could slowly erode the remaining portion of the road until the entire section eventually collapses,” he added.

● The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.