KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — Veteran composer Datuk Ooi Eow Jin passed away due to old age at Kuala Lumpur Hospital at 3.30pm today. He was 86.

Yayasan Kebajikan Artis Tanah Air (YKAT) chairman Datuk DJ Dave, who announced the news, described his passing as a huge loss for the country’s music industry.

"I received a call from his wife Datin Khaw Lean Kee informing me of the matter. His remains will be taken to Nirvana Memorial Park in Shah Alam tomorrow for the funeral,” he told Bernama.

According to him, Ooi, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, received monthly assistance of RM500 from YKAT, an artistes’ welfare foundation, since last year.

The composer began his career as a member of Orkestra RTM for four decades, from 1963 to 1983, before joining TV3 a year later.

In 1989, he worked as a cultural officer at a university and a lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (ASWARA).

His last stint was at a hotel here as a solo pianist until June 2015.

Ooi composed songs for local and international artistes, including the late Datuk Sudirman Haji Arshad and Datuk Rafeah Buang, Datuk M Nasir, Rahimah Rahim, Flora Santos, Alleycats, Jennifer Yen and Francis Yip. — Bernama