KUALA LUMPUR: Considered to be the bad boy of Malaysian poetry, Salleh Ben Joned known for his witty, fearless and charismatic writings died from heart failure, early this morning.
He was 79.
According to a statement posted by his family on his Facebook account, Salleh died at 1.21am today.
"He was experiencing breathing difficulties on Tuesday at his home in Subang Jaya and was warded at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre," the statement informed.
Final rites' prayers were held at the Masjid Abu Bakar As-Siddiq in Subang Jaya this morning, and Salleh would then be laid to rest at the USJ 22 Muslim cemetery.
"Owing to MCO (Movement Control Order) regulations, only close relatives are allowed for the prayers and burial. Thank you," read the statement.
Born in Melaka in 1941, Salleh was among the last of the Colombo Plan Scholars.
He became a student of Australian poet James Phillip McAuley, when he was an undergraduate at the University of Tasmania.
Returning to Malaysia in 1973, he lectured in English Literature at Universiti Malaya until 1983, before becoming a freelance scribbler.
His first book was the bilingual poetry collection "Sajak-Sajak Saleh", followed by "As I Please", which was compiled from his popular column in the New Straits Times.
He has also made a few film appearances.
Fellow poet, Kee Thuan Chye, who is also an actor, dramatist, journalist and activist took to Facebook to mourn and remember his friend.
"I woke up this morning to the sad news that my old friend, poet-essayist Salleh Ben Joned, died at 1.21am.
"We were comrades in pushing the envelope at New Straits Times in the late 1980s to the early 1990s.
"When I was made Literary Editor of the newspaper, I created the Literary Page. And the first person I approached to be a columnist for the page was Salleh," he said.
Kee described Salleh as the last of the fundamentalist Malays, as perhaps he would have liked to be known.
"The true Malay, in touch with the original Malay spirit and love for life", Kee said.