PENANG lost one of its outstanding universal values (OUV) practitioner when famed cartoonist passed away after suffering a heart attack.
The author and street artist of the Tanjong Life! comic series and holder of a few Malaysia Book of Records awards, was on his way back from a Ramadan bazaar in Paya Terubong when he began experiencing chest pains.
His wife drove him to a clinic nearby their home in Farlim where he collapsed and could not be resuscitated.
His brother-in-law Abdul Aleem Shammoon Rali said that medical aid was administrated at the clinic while an ambulance was called.
“The doctor at the clinic performed CPR that it was continued in the ambulance on the way to Penang Hospital. But unfortunately, it was not meant to be.”
Azmi overcame poverty and hardship after turning to art full-time in 2013.
The self - taught artist told an audience during the TED talk series that he once only had RM2.50 change in his pockets.
Noticing busloads of tourists getting down to see Fort Cornwallis, a state landmark, he was struck with the idea of drawing portraits and never looked back since that day.
Last August, Azmi scored his first solo exhibition, called Cari, which he displayed at the Hin Bus Depot in George Town, showcasing his evolution with introspection and playfulness.
He is survived by his wife and two sons, aged 17 and 15, and an 11-year-old daughter. - March 6, 2025.
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