National laureate Shahnon Ahmad has passed away today at the age of 84, according to his son.

The well-known author had been brought to the KPJ Kajang Hospital at about 7.30am this morning to be treated for pneumonia. 

Berita Harian quoted the Malaysian National Writers Association secretary-general Saifullizan Yahaya as saying the news was confirmed by the late author’s son Asrul Sani Shahnon.

"His remains will be prepared for burial at Surau Madani, Section 3, Bandar Baru Bangi and will be buried after zohor prayers at the Sungai Tangkas Muslim cemetery," he said, as reported by The Star.

Shahnon, a professor emeritus at Universiti Sains Malaysia, was awarded the National Literary Award in 1982.

The veteran author leaves behind a wife and four children.

The renowned novelist had also won several other awards, such as The Champion of Literature (1976), Asean Literary Prize (1990) and Mastera Literary Award (2010, 2011).

After the release of the expletive-laden novel "Sh*t" in 1999, he gained notoriety and a sudden fan following due to the increased political frustration in the country after Anwar Ibrahim's sacking as deputy prime minister in 1998. 

Some of his other notable published works include "Maha Maha" (1999) and "Muntah" (2000).

Shahnon was also a former MP for Sik in Kedah. In the 1999 general elections, he defeated the then minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Hamid Othman, by a 478-vote majority.

He served as the MP for one term, until 2004.