Colleagues, family and friends gathered today for the funeral of Jamal Khail Mohd Isa, former chief executive of Utusan Printcorp, who died suddenly this week.
He had gone into a coma after being bitten by wasps while playing golf at Malaka, Malaysia, 11 days ago, and did not recover consciousness.
Aged 49, he leaves a wife and three young children.
His career in the newspaper industry began at New Straits Times Press in Kuala Lumpur, where he worked as a printer, and from which he was sent to the London College of Printing in a “too cold” England.
He joined Utusan Melayu Malaysia and served as general manager of printing and then of production, before being appointed chief executive of Utusan Printcorp where he was responsible for the entire printing group.
He was a co-founder of the South East Asia Newspaper Group (SEANG).
Outside work, he was an enthusiastic golfer: “Jamal enjoyed life, which was for him mainly playing golf, and that as much as his job could let him play,” says SEANG cofounder Stephan Peters, who recalls a day on which his flights were rearranged to allow more golf.
“Working in newspapers was also his passion, but he paid a toll for his hard work, needing heart bypass surgery a few years ago. Luckily, it didn't change his way of life at all,” says Peters.