Kuala lumpur: Former National News Agency (Bernama) Economic News Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Amer Hamzah Md Sap, passed away early this morning. He was 70. His son Ahmad Fikri Amer Hamzah confirmed his passing.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, funeral prayers were held at Masjid Bandar Baru Ampang at 11 am. He was laid to rest at the Ukay Perdana Islamic Cemetery at 11.30 am today. Ahmad Fikri said his late father passed away due to heart disease.

The late Amer Hamzah from Kampung Bukit Senggeh, Melaka, joined Bernama in 1980 as a reporter on the General News Service. He went on to hold several other positions within the national news agency. He was later appointed to head the Malay Language sub-editing desk under the Bernama Economic Service (BES) before retiring as its Deputy Editor-in-Chief in 2014.

Former Bernama chief executive officer and Editor-in-Chief Datuk Yong Soo Heong described the late Amer Hamzah as a committed journalist who made a name for himself in economic journalism. 'Amer Hamzah was pretty resourceful. While he was the Bernama bureau chief in Penang, he wanted to join BES. He tried to find business-related stories, even from product food wrappers. His perseverance paid off, and he became a business writer at Bernama's headquarters,' he said.

Yong said the late Amer Hamzah was also very focused. He recalled how the former newsman achieved two personal goals simultaneously when he decided to buy a new car and take his wife on an overseas holiday. 'A Japanese minicar manufacturer was trying to break into the Malaysian market in the late 1980s and was offering an all-expenses-paid holiday for two with every purchase. The ever-resourceful Amer Hamzah took up the offer. He bought the car, took his wife on the holiday, and constantly adjusted seating arrangements whenever necessary for his relatively large family,' he added. The late Amer Hamzah has eight children.

Meanwhile, BES former Deputy Editor-in-Chief Mikhail Raj Abdullah described the late Amer Hamzah as deeply passionate about work. 'He was a dedicated journalist. He belonged to a special group of sub-editors who excelled in translating business and economic news.'

BES Malay Language deputy chief sub-editor Zairina Kamaluddin, who worked under the late Amer Hamzah, described him as a firm, meticulous leader who put a premium on journalistic quality. 'Amer Hamzah was very strict and exceptionally meticulous. He did not tolerate any errors in a copy,' she said. Although he appeared stern, he was actually kind, caring, and looked after subordinates' welfare. 'The late Amer Hamzah also stressed the importance of accuracy in Malay translation, in accordance with the standards of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, while ensuring that every translation reflected the appropriate language style rather than a literal translation,' Zairina said.