Datuk Sharifah Aini Syed Jaafar died of a lung infection early Saturday morning. She was 61.
Fondly known as Kak Pah, she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Damansara Specialist Hospital on Monday. She passed away at 1.26am.
She was diagnosed with lung fibrosis, also known as interstitial lung disease, two years ago. Respiratory physician Datuk Dr Zainudin Md Zain, who was treating the songstress, said that the condition is rare and causes hardening or scarring of the lungs.
After developing breathing difficulties, she was taken to the hospital by her son, Aliff Omar Ali.
Sharifah Aini first broke into the entertainment industry in 1969, following her victory in a talent show, Juara Bintang RTS (Radio Television Singapore), with the song “Tiga Malam” the year before.
She was popular for a string of hits including “Hapuslah Airmatamu”, “Seri Dewi Malam”, “Dekatlah Padaku”, “Bunga Tanjung” and “Mak Inang Melayu”, a duet with the late Datuk Sudirman Arshad, and many more.
Sharifah Aini received the Panglima Jasa Negara award, which carries the title “Datuk”, from the federal government in June 2003.
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