KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian sports has lost another icon with the passing of cycling legend Saharudin Jaffar, who died at 2.17 pm today at the age of 84.
His eldest son, Suhaimi Saharudin, 55, confirmed the news when contacted by Bernama, stating that his father had suffered complications while undergoing dialysis treatment this morning.
“My father went for his usual dialysis session at around 9 or 10 am, but upon arrival, he fainted. The nurse immediately called an ambulance to take him to Shah Alam Hospital.
“When the doctor arrived, he said my father’s heart had stopped. Despite efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead at 2.17 pm,” he said.
Suhaimi said his father’s passing was deeply felt, especially as tomorrow would have marked his parents’ 58th wedding anniversary.
“My mother, Hasmah Ibrahim, is now 81. Despite his age, my father remained active—he would fast, exercise, and even enjoyed gardening,” he recalled.
Saharudin, who made history by winning Malaysia’s first gold medal in cycling at the 1965 Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games in Kuala Lumpur, will be taken to the surau in Section 8, Shah Alam, for funeral prayers before being laid to rest at the Muslim Cemetery in Section 21, Shah Alam. — March 18, 2025