GEORGE TOWN: Former 'New Straits Times' Penang/Kedah bureau chief Noor Adzman Baharuddin died this afternoon.
He was 64.
Noor Adzman breathed his last at 12.59pm, surrounded by family members, said his eldest daughter, Izza Azrin.
She added that her father had been hospitalised for nearly two weeks.
"My father was diagnosed with liver cancer more than a year ago. It was so sudden.
"But he has been living his life to the fullest despite the illness."
"Yesterday, his condition deteriorated before he passed away today," said younger daughter Qistina Aisyah when met at a private hospital here.
Meanwhile, Abdul Rashid Yusof, former 'New Straits Times' group editor, said Noor Adzman, or fondly known as Cikgu Man, joined NST back 1986, where he was based in Penang.
"He is a dedicated journalist, always wanting to write full, proper articles.
"He would have those odd breaks at the golf course. Otherwise, his time would be devoted to journalism.
"He covered a range of big stories — the Penang ferry collapsed tragedy in 1988, for instance," he said.
Rashid said he, together with former 'Berita Harian' group editor Khaidir A Majid, last visited Noor Adzman in Penang on Aug 1, last year.
Khaidir was his senior at the Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) Seremban.
"We were delighted that he suggested we should meet up at Hameediyah — a hint of his energy level, enthusiasm.
"He spoke of his battle with cancer and that he had alerted his family of his preferred burial grounds. He did call me eventually," he added.
Khaidir said, as a colleague, he found Noor Adzman to be very committed to his work.
"At times, he can be brash but we knew he sincerely meant to find the best outcome in what we were trying to achieve.
"As a friend and schoolmate, I grew up knowing a person who has always been respectful and kind.
"In our private conversation, he would always talk about his family and I find him a person who loves his family and was very proud of their achievements," he said.
Noor Adzman, the eldest of five siblings, leaves behind a wife and two daughters.
