Former national shooter Muslifah Zulkifli dies

Her former coach, Zamil Ahmad Murad who confirmed the demise of Muslifah, 35, said she drew her last breath at about 2.30 am at Penang Gleneagles Hospital after receiving treatment for almost two months.

"She was found positive for COVID-19 since September...at that time she was five months pregnant and her foetus died two weeks after being warded in the hospital before virus was detected in her lungs.

"Muslifah was laid to rest at 1.30 pm at the Muslim cemetery in Jalan Perak, Georgetown, Penang," he said when contacted by Bernama today.

The former Kuala Lumpur shooting coach left behind her husband, Muhammad Syamim Syaharuddin in his 30's and they did not have any children.

Meanwhile, the National Sports Council in a Facebook posting expressed its condolences to Muslifah's family and prayed her soul be placed among the pious.

Muslifah won a bronze medal in the women's team 50m rifle prone event in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon South Korea with Nur Suryani Mohamed Taibi and Nur Ayuni Farhana Abdul Halim, was involved in the Podium Programme from 2015 to 2017.

Meanwhile, Muslifah's younger brother, Mohamad Zulfizri, 31, said his sister's health was reported to be improving two weeks ago after the oxygen level in her lungs began to stabilise before the doctor detected virus infection in her lung.

He said the doctor found Muslifah's left lung was infected and had to carry out an operation to drain water found in the lung but her oxygen level continued to drop.

"At 12.30 am last night, the hospital contacted the family and her husband to say my sister was in critical condition before she took her last breath at 2.30 am," he said.

He thanked all parties for praying for her health and words of encouragement to Muslifah when she was being treated in the hospital.