GEORGE TOWN: The family of actress Nadia Kesuma (pic), who died in Jeddah on Thursday, has come to terms with her passing.
Her husband, Prof Dr Muhammad Kamarul Kabilan Abdullah, 57, a lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia, said Wisma Putra informed him of her death on Saturday night.
“I apologise for not being able to provide further details, as Wisma Putra will issue a statement regarding what happened to my wife.
“My daughter and I will be travelling to Jeddah today (Sunday), and we have accepted what has happened,” he told reporters when met at Penang International Airport here.
Muhammad Kamarul Kabilan, who appeared calm, was seen embracing family members as he and his daughter prepared to board a flight to Kuala Lumpur, before continuing on to Jeddah.
Muhammad Kamarul Kabilan has three children aged 11 to 15 with Nadia Kesuma, whose real name is Nadiah Kasumawati Abdul Karim, 50.
He said his wife will be buried in Jeddah.
“My late wife often spoke of wanting to go to Mecca, so we are fulfilling her wish.”
In a Facebook post, Muhammad Kamarul Kabilan said his wife passed away at 8.07am of a heart attack on Thursday, the same day she was reported missing.
Nadia Kesuma was initially reported as missing after she could not be traced while in transit at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah during her flight from Kuala Lumpur to London on Thursday.
She had joined an Umrah-London-Paris travel package organised by a tour agency along with 21 other pilgrims.
Meanwhile, in a separate post, Nadia Kesuma’s daughter said the news of her mother’s death was conveyed by the travel agency on Saturday night.
“She suffered a heart attack and was taken to the hospital on the same day she arrived at Jeddah airport.
“Our family was not informed of her condition until 11.10pm, when the travel agency itself conveyed the news,” she said.
Wisma Putra said the Malaysian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General of Malaysia in Jeddah are providing all necessary consular assistance to the family to ensure that all arrangements are well taken care of.
It said in a statement that representatives from the embassy and the consulate general will be on-site to personally monitor the situation and facilitate the next steps.
“The ministry extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased during this difficult time.
“In this regard, the ministry also wishes to express its appreciation to the relevant authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their assistance in this matter,” it said.
