Veteran singer Orchid Abdullah died  today after suffering from unstable hormone tumor or paraganglioma since three years ago.

The 64-year-old singer breathed her last at 12.40pm in Hospital Ampang in Kuala Lumpur, with her husband, Mokhtar Omar, 70, who is currently receiving treatment in the coronary care unit (CCU) of the same hospital, by her side.

NONE Singers, Musicians and Composers Association of Malaysia (Papita) president  M Daud Wahid, who is also Orchid's ( right ) close friend, said the singer, who was popular in the 1960s with songs like ‘ Penawar Rindu ’, was taken to the hospital at 3am on Thursday before being admitted to the intensive care unit.

He said in their brief conversation with her before she fell into coma yesterday morning, Orchid managed to say: “I’m sorry, my time is up.”  

Her remains were taken to the Muslim cemetery in AU1 in Keramat for burial after funeral rites were performed at the As-Sobirin Mosque during the Asar prayers.

        

Before venturing into the music industry, Orchid, who was born to Arab and English parents, was once a teacher and had served in Sekolah Sri Mersing, Johor.

She is survived by her husband, and their four children, Nur Shalina, 42, Md Nor Shareen, 39, Mohd Noor Shafri, 35 and Nur Shafinaz, 31.

- Bernama