Malaysian Popular Director Yasmin Ahmad In ICU

Critically acclaimed film and TV commercial director Yasmin Ahmad is in critical condition after collapsing during a presentation at TV3 this afternoon.

Yasmin Ahmad, 51-year-old filmmaker is currently in the ICU at Damansara Specialist Hospital, where she was admitted at 3.45pm.

According to Tan Kein Eng, the managing director of Leo Burnett Kuala Lumpur, Yasmin Ahmad, who is the agency’s creative director, was at TV3 to discuss several projects, one of which involved Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and her husband, Datuk Khalid Muhammad Jiwa, who were also present.

“During the presentation, Yasmin Ahmad felt unwell and had difficulty breathing. CPR was administered before Yasmin Ahmad was taken to the hospital. But it is not true that she collapsed,” said Tan when met at the hospital.

Yasmin Ahmad, who gained prominence for a series of commercials touching on community messages for national gas and petroleum giant Petronas, began her career as a copywriter before rising to become a creative force in the advertising industry.

Yasmin Ahmad was inducted along with seven others into the inaugural Malaysian Advertising Hall of Fame by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia.

Yasmin Ahmad won the Asian Film Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival for the interracial love story, Sepet in 2004. Sepet and its sequel Gubra won the Best Film award at the Malaysian Film Festival in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Her other films include Mukhsin (2006), Muallaf (2008) and the recently released Talentime.

Yasmin Ahmad was due to start shooting for a new project in Japan called Forget Me Not with a Japanese producer at the end of the year.

UPDATE: Award-winning director Yasmin Ahmad, who passed away on Saturday night after a stroke, is finally laid to rest at 12.40pm Sunday at the Tanah Perkuburan Islam in SS20.

Among the pallbearers were Media Prima International CEO Datuk Seri Farid Ridzuan.

Some 100 people have turned at the funeral to pay their last respects.

Earlier, the family held solat jenazah at Masjid Abu Bakar As-Siddiq in SS19, after which, the public was allowed to pay their last respects to Yasmin.

The prayers were led by Imam Ustaz Ahmad Salim.

Yassin prayers were also recited for Yasmin at the mosque.

The hearse has left the house for the mosque at 9.30am.

Among those present at the mosque were actress Sharifah Amani, Farid, AirAsia group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, singer Jacyln Victor, fellow film director and producer Suhaimi Baba, Talentime actor Hon Kahoe and singer cum songwriter Peter Teo.

Former Penang Chief Minister and Gerakan president Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon was also present.

Yasmin, 51, famous for movies like Sepet, Gubra and recently, Talentime.

The director died at 11.45pm on Saturday night from massive bleeding in the brain at the Damansara Specialist Hospital.

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