The Sun consultant editor, Zainon Ahmad, 70, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II (HRPZII), in Kota Baru today after he lost consciousness believed to be due to liver cancer.

According to his third daughter, Zuhailawati, 40, her father was admitted to the hospital at about 1am after complaining of chest pains while he was at her home in Jalan Bayam.

NONEShe said Zainon (left) was sent to the hospital by her mother, Hasnah Abdullah, 65, when his condition worsened since last night.

Zuhailawati said that her father had been suffering from liver cancer for some time and the condition became serious since last October.

"Previously, father was being treated at a private medical centre in Subang Jaya, Selangor," she told Bernama when approached at the Mahsuri Ward, at the hospital today.

Zainon, who was in a coma, was now using a life-support machine.
Meanwhile, Hasnah, was at her husband's bedside reading the 'surah yasin'.

Family members and relatives visited Zainon since the news that he was admitted to the ICU broke out.

"Previously, father used to do physical exercise and would jog almost daily, but today he had no time," said Zuhailawati, the third of four siblings.

"All the children had frequently advised father to retire as a journalist. However, due to his passion for journalism, he continued with his profession," she said.

 Frequent visitor

Zuhailawati said that her father, who lives in Section 14 Subang Jaya, Selangor frequently came to her house in Jalan Bayam in Kota Baru.

Hasnah, meanwhile, said that three of her four children were presently with her.

"The other child is on the way home from the United States," she said, adding that she and Zainon have 14 grandchildren.

Those who visited Zainon today included the director-general of broadcasting, Norhyati Ismail, director-general of information Ibrahim Abdul Rahman, Bernama special functions editor Mohamad Nasir Yusoff, and Kelantan director of broadcasting Sayuti Mokhtar.

Meanwhile in Kuala Lumpur, news of Zainon's admission to the ICU had begun to spread among the media practitioners since this morning.

Zainon, who had served as a teacher for three years before becoming a journalist 35 years ago, was formerly group associate editor of the New Straits Times.

He later became editor-in-chief of the English daily, the Sun in 2002.

Zainon had also won the Media Personality Award in 2010. He holds a Bachelor's degree in History and a Master's in International Relations from Universiti Malaya.

- Bernama