PETALING JAYA, Aug 3 — Television host and personality Datuk Mahadzir Lokman passed away today at the age of 61.

Mahadzir’s youngest sister Ida Neliaty confirmed the death earlier when contacted by Astro Awani, and said her brother was in Sabah for work.

According to a police report released shortly before afternoon, Mahadzir passed away at about 9.30am.

Kota Kinabalu police chief Habibi Majinji said his side received the report at approximately 11am and said no foul play was involved as of now.

"There are no criminal elements and the victim might have likely passed away due to his illness he experienced before.

"However, further investigations will be carried out,” said Habibi.

His cause of death is yet to be known but the popular newscaster was said to have completed his subuh prayers at a hotel in Kota Kinabalu shortly before his passing.

Mahadzir, son to the late Datuk Lokman Musa spent most of his time growing up in Kuala Lumpur before travelling across the globe throughout his higher education days. 

He began primary school at Methodist Boys’ School in KL, before a couple more years at the Sultah Abdullah School in Kuantan.

He spent his secondary schooling days at Sabah College in Kota Kinabalu before completing Form five at KL’s Victoria Institution.

Upon completion of high school, the TV personality was one of the lucky 26 Malaysian students who was picked to study abroad for a year as an exchange student where he studied at the Avenal High School in California and Langside College and the Clydebank Technical College in Glasgow, Scotland.

He majored in an International Business Administration course out of Ohio University in Athens before moving to Paris in 1978 as a 21-year-old, with his parents and family after his father’s appointment as an Ambasasador and Permanent Delegate for Malaysia to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).

A year later he returned to Malaysia and began his career in something totally different ― a role which Malaysians still dearly remember him as ― an anchorman for Berita TV3.

Other private emcee roles and TV host slots within the channel followed, also hosting Melodi TV3 for a brief stint in the late 1990s.

What set him apart from his peers was his ability to present in Bahasa Malaysia and English fluently, as well as being able to converse in six different languages, including French.

After his success with the station, Mahadzir opened his own public relations company called Dale Lokman Communications in Kuala Lumpur.

He was also involved in various events to promote peace globally, namely Walk for Peace, Concert for Peace and World Peace Congress.

Throughout his illustrious career, he picked up several awards ― the "Ordre Les Palmes Academiques” by the French Government in 2006 for his effort in promoting French Language and Culture, Best Newscaster/Broadcaster Award in 1999 by Monsieur Magazine, Quintessential Man of the Year Award in 1998 by Malaysia Tatler, and recently the Ambassador for Peace 2009.

His past few years have been spent battling lung and kidney complications and last year, he was admitted to Universiti Malaya Medical Centre’s intensive care unit in a coma.

Mahadzir’s family members are currently arranging for his remains to be brought back to Petaling Jaya from Kota Kinabalu.

Among the few who paid their last respects to Mahadzir at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Sabah today was Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal who was accompanied by his wife, Suryani Shuaib.