KUCHING: The body of veteran Sarawak journalist James Alexander Ritchie, who died of a heart attack on Saturday (May 3), was laid to rest in a private cremation ceremony at the Nirvana Memorial Park in Siniawan near here, Tuesday (May 6).
Prior to the burial ceremony, a prayer service for the deceased was held at St Thomas Church here which was attended by about 300 family members, close friends and journalists who had worked with him.
The late James breathed his last at the age of 75 at the Sarawak General Hospital at about 11.40am on Saturday and is survived by his wife, Tan Lee Fong, a daughter and a granddaughter.
His passing leaves a void that is deeply felt, not only by his family and close friends, but also by the journalism community and the people of Sarawak.
James was known for his profound works that touched on issues of culture, history and the struggles of the indigenous community, now becoming part of the history he himself had written.
Starting his journalism career as a cadet reporter at The Straits Times in Kuala Lumpur at the age of 23, the late veteran journalist continued to achieve success until he emerged as one of the leading journalists, especially in Sarawak.
He had covered various major events and high-profile cases, including the Japanese Red Army raid on the United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur in 1975, the arrest of "Master of Disguise" Lai See Kiaw and criminal Wong Swee Chin, also known as Botak Chin.
Throughout his career, James held several important positions in journalism and media, including as a reporter at the New Straits Times in Sarawak in 1981, public relations officer in the Sarawak Chief Minister's Department (1998) and media consultant for Sarawak Digest (2022).
His excellence in journalism and writing earned him the National Journalist Day Award (Hawana) last year, as well as the Shell Kenyalang Gold Award, the Azam Press Award and the Ang Lai Soon Gold Award. — Bernama
