24 Oct - Comedy auteur Mamat Khalid has recently passed away. The news was confirmed by FINAS' Secretary General, Hafiz Nafiah, who stated that the beloved filmmaker died at 12.30am early this morning after passing out at his restaurant Sarang Art in Tanjung Malim. "He breathed his last in the ambulance on the way to Slim River Hospital. His funeral will be held (24 October) in Ipoh," he added.
It is noted that Mamat had a health scare back in 2019, after he was revealed to have pneumonia and had to be admitted in the ICU. He had also been hospitalised multiple times due to his heart problem. Mamat leaves behind his wife Hasmah Hassan and their five children.
The younger brother of cartoonist Datuk Lat, Mamat was most famous for his many directorial efforts that touched on social issues and even political topics with a sense of humour. Among his most popular films include "Man Laksa", "Rock", and the Kampong Pisang franchise. He also won Best Film at the 21st Malaysian Film Festival for his neo-noir film, "Kala Malam Bulan Mengambang". He was 58.