National laureate Shahnon Ahmad dies at 84 (Updated)

PETALING JAYA: National laureate Datuk Dr Shahnon Ahmad passed away this morning due to pneumonia at the age of 84.
The renowned author breathed his last at the KPJ Kajang Hospital at around 8am, his son Asrol Shahnon confirmed.
Asrol said that his father had been warded in the hospital for the past four days.
"His remains were brought to Surau Madani in Section 3 Bandar Baru Bangi before being buried at the Sungai Tangkas Muslim Cemetery after Zohor prayers," he said.
He is survived by his wife and four children.

Shahnon had devoted his life to literary works, where he started to show his talent in writing in his 20s.
His first novel titled Rentong, released in 1965, raised his name to prominence in the country's literary scene.
One of his famous books, Ranjau Sepanjang Jalan, which portrays the struggle of a farmer family, was translated to English and adapted into a Cambodian drama film titled Rice People.
Shahnon, who was regarded as one of the important authors in Malaysia, received the National Literary Award in 1982 following his contributions to the country's literary scene.
In 1999, Shahnon released his political satire book titled Shit, which drew controversy as it was seen as a reflection of the political scenario at the time.
Following the release, several parties had called for the book to be banned and to revoke his national laureate award.
He had also made a short stint in politics by becoming an MP for PAS for one term after winning the Sik parliamentary seat in the 1999 General Election, defeating the then Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Othman.