Shahnon an educator at heart
Late national laureate stressed the importance of knowledge till the end
PETALING JAYA: Education was very close to the heart of the late national laureate Datuk Dr Shahnon Ahmad.
He not only taught the nation via his writings, but also instilled the importance of knowledge in his family, said his eldest daughter Norhayati Shahnon, 58.
She said her father gave priority to his family’s education, adding that he always checked on their studies despite his declining health.
“He used to remind his grandchildren and great-grandchildren to study hard until they succeeded,” she said.
Dr Shahnon passed away at KPJ Hospital in Kajang yesterday morning due to pneumonia. He was 84.
His son Asrul Sani Shahnon, 54, told mStar Online that the whole family was at his bedside when he breathed his last.
Dr Shahnon is survived by his wife Datin Wan Fatimah Wan Salleh, three children aged between 54 and 58, as well as 14 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He was buried at the Sungai Tangkas Muslim cemetery in Bandar Baru Bangi.
Fellow national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said, who attended the funeral, described Dr Shahnon as someone who loved to write stories about the community.
“One of his most notable literary works is Ranjau Sepanjang Jalan, which teaches readers the meaning of life’s hardships.
“The struggles faced by the main character in the novel motivates the reader to be resilient and patient in life, especially during the economic slowdown,” he said.
Muslim Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (Perkim) honorary secretary-general Tan Sri Prof Dr Mohd Yusof Noor said Dr Shahnon was also regarded as a national fighter.
“The nation lost a national fighter in literature and I hope that this loss can be replaced with new talents like him,” he said.
Dr Shahnon was born on Jan 13, 1933, in Banggul Derdap, Sik, Kedah. He was Professor Emeritus at Universiti Sains Malaysia and was awarded the National Literary Award in 1982.
Among his notable published works are Maha Maha (Great Worlds, 1999) and Muntah (Nausea, 2000).
He also won awards such as The Champion of Literature (1976), Asean Literary Prize (1990) and Mastera Literary Award (2010, 2011).
Dr Shahnon was PAS MP for Sik in the 1999 general election, but did not defend his seat in the subsequent polls.
The nation lost a national fighter in literature and I hope that this loss can be replaced with new talents like him. Tan Sri Prof Dr Mohd Yusof Noor