KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran comedian AR Badul will undergo heart surgery on Wednesday following his admission to the National Heart Institute (IJN) yesterday.
Badul’s wife Maizatul Othman said the 69-year-old actor complained of chest pains and was admitted to the IJN around 4pm.
“He’s now resting in the Coronary Care Unit, and doctors will perform minor surgery to remove blockages in his coronary arteries. Doctors have placed two stents in his arteries to improve blood flow,” she said, adding that it was the first time Badul encountered heart problems.
She thanked fans of the comedian for their prayers and well-wishes, adding that only family members could visit him for now.
Badul or Armaya Aman Ramlie is the son of screen legend AR Tompel who starred with Tan Sri P Ramlee in movies as Anak Bapak and Do Re Mi.
The father of seven children is also the elder brother of Dukun actor Adlin Aman Ramlie.
He appeared in his first film Si Badol in 1978, and has starred in more than 30 films, including Hantu Siang, Senario The Movie and Kerja Kahwin.
Badul won Best Actor and Best Director for the film Oh Fatimah at the 8th Malaysian Film Festival in 1989.
Meanwhile, National Film Development Corporation (Finas) chairman Datuk Samsuni Mohd Nor visited Badul today, and gave the actor’s family some financial contributions from the corporation. He was accompanied by Finas deputy director-general (management) Khairul Azhar Abu Bakar.
Samsuni said Finas appreciated Badul’s contributions to the film industry, and wanted to help ease his medical expenses.