KUALA LUMPUR:Sinar Harian group editor-in-chief Datuk Baharom Mahusin died at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) this morning, according to Karangkraf Group chairman Datuk Dr Hussamuddin Yaacub.

He said Baharom, 54, was admitted to hospital two weeks ago for having gallstones.

"Following that he had bacterial infection and yesterday the complications attacked his heart,” he said when contacted today.

He said the body of Baharom would be taken from UMMC to Masjid Bilal Bin Rabah at Taman Koperasi Polis for prayers before being buried at the Raudhatul Sakinah Muslim cemetery here.

Hussamuddin described Baharom as a hardworking person who was dedicated, firm and meticulous in his work and had successfully transformed Sinar Harian, one of the publications under the Karangkraf Group.

“Baharom was not a man of many words but was a good person truly dedicated to his work. For the past two years, he had worked hard together with chief executive officer Farah Hussamuddin to improve and transform the editorial content (of the daily).

“He contributed greatly to Sinar Harian, which is now the number one newspaper in Malaysia,” he added.

Earlier, Hussamuddin wrote about the death of Baharom on twitter.

“Today Sinar Harian lost another person. May (the soul of) Datuk Baharom Mahusin, who just breathed his last at UMMC, rest in peace. I know for a fact that he was a very good person. May Allah SWT give him the most honourable place,” "he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organisation (Mapim) president Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid conveyed his condolences to the family of Baharom and staff of Sinar Harian.

“The cooperation extended by Baharom to Mapim was very meaningful and much appreciated, and his passing is a big loss to local journalism,” he said in a statement.

-- BERNAMA