18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
BH entertainment desk assistant editor Raja Nurfatimah Mawar dies
KAJANG: Berita Harian's (BH) entertainment desk assistant editor, Raja Nurfatimah Mawar Mohamed, died at her home in Sungai Long at about 2pm today.
Raja Nurfatimah, who had more than 30 years of experience in journalism, was 49.
Well-known among members of the entertainment industry, news of her passing came as a shock to family and friends.
Her remains were taken to Kajang Hospital for a post-mortem and are expected to be brought back to her hometown in Kuala Terengganu for burial.
Her maid, Khusnul Khotimah, 23, said Raja Nurfatimah had been complaining of body aches for the past two weeks and often asked not to be left alone.
"She had been feeling unwell for two weeks, but today she looked worse.
This morning, she said her body ached and asked me to massage her.
"At around 1pm, I gave her some water, but she seemed unable to swallow it and vomited. Her condition deteriorated rapidly after that.
"I panicked and went outside to seek help. I alerted the security guard and a neighbour came to assist," she said when met at the deceased's home today.
Raja Nurfatimah began her career as a part-time journalist with BH's Kuala Terengganu bureau at the age of 18, before being offered a position with Harian Metro (HM).
Over the course of her career, she worked in several departments, including news, crime, and entertainment, in both HM and BH.
Raja Nurfatimah wrote numerous engaging articles, including exclusives such as the plight of veteran singer Sahara Yaacob, who was found living in a storeroom, among other revealing stories.
She also had close ties with the late iconic singer Datuk Sharifah Aini and wrote extensively about the Biduanita Negara.
She was also close to veteran actress Noorkumalasari and the family of Datuk Yusof Haslam.
In 2017, Raja Nurfatimah won the Best Columnist Award at the Malaysian Film Industry Excellence Awards (AKIFMA) for her article titled Beginikah Perilaku Penggiat Seni under BH's Desas Desus column.
