KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran singer and actor Datuk Hail Amir died at Kuala Lumpur Hospital at 3.48pm today. He was 76.
Hail's death was confirmed by his daughter Cinta Hailfi.
"My father passed away peacefully at 3.48pm as a result of a lung infection and heart ailment," said Cinta in an interview with Berita Harian Online.
Hail, who is from Penang, had been hospitalised in critical condition yesterday.
Former Senario comedian Farouk Hussain, a close friend of the veteran entertainer visited him in hospital shortly after his admission, and said that he was semi-conscious.
"I was deeply saddened when I saw him. He was a shadow of his usual jovial self," said Farouk, adding that Hail could hardly speak.
In 2018, Hail was hospitalised with a heart condition.
Hail, who was hugely popular in the 1970s, was best known for his iconic Hari Raya duet with veteran singer-actress Uji Rashid titled Seloka Hari Raya.
Hail and Uji were the country's best known duet partners in that decade, and they also starred together in the 1975 film Jiwa Remaja alongside Datuk Yusof Haslam.
Jiwa Remaja was based on the 1969 Hong Kong film Dead End which starred Thomas Ti Lung, David Chiang and Li Ching.
Hail's other popular songs included Hujan, Menunggu Nasi Minyak, and Antara Matamu Dan Mataku.
His other popular movies included Cinta Dan Lagu, Menanti Hari Esok, Sesejuk Air Mata Ibu and Anita Dunia Ajaib.
A father of four, Hail was awarded the Panglima Mahkota Wilayah (PMW) which carried the title Datuk by the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah in 2022.
