Film director Yasmin Ahmad collapses now in ICU (Update)

Critically-acclaimed movie and TV commercial director Yasmin Ahmad underwent emergency surgery at 6pm at the Damansara Specialist Hospital after suffering a stroke. She was admitted to the hospital's Intensive Care Unit after collapsing earlier in the afternoon while attending a meeting at Sri Pentas. She is reported to be in stable but critical condition.

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The Star online (update 10:56:03 PM)

Film director Yasmin Ahmad in hospital

Critically-acclaimed movie and TV commercial director Yasmin Ahmad underwent emergency surgery at a hospital here after suffering a stroke at about 4:30pm on Thursday.

She was at Sri Pentas at TV3 for a meeting with pop diva Datuk Siti Nurhaliza and her husband Datuk Khalid Jiwa when she reportedly felt unwell and had difficulty breathing.

Siti, who was an ambassador for the Malaysian Red Crescent Society, immediately administered CPR, together with a TV3 panel doctor.

When they could not revive her, they immediately sent to the Intensive Care Unit at the Damansara Specialist Centre. Doctors there administered CPR and stabilised her before performing surgery at about 6pm to reduce the swelling in her brain.

Doctors said she was in stable but critical condition.

A host of Malaysian personalities were at the hospital, including Siti and Khalid, Suria FM’s Engku Emran, TV3 CEO Farid Jamaluddin, and indie filmmakers James Lee, Pete Teo, Liew Seng Tat.

According to former journalist and actress Fatimah Abu Bakar, Yasmin’s parents caught the 7pm flight from Langkawi to be at her side.

Datuk Dr Zakaria Zahari, Yasmin’s brother-in-law, said that her condition was stable but critical and will be monitored.

He requested that the media present at the hospital respect the family’s wishes and leave the premises to pray for Yasmin’s recovery.

Yasmin, 51, the director of Sepet, is particularly well known for the community message commercials she directed for Petronas.

She began her career in advertising as a copywriter at Ogilvy & Mather, eventually rising to creative director at Leo Burnett Kuala Lumpur.

Her movies have won many international awards and have been screened at the Berlin, San Francisco, Singapore and Cannes international film festivals.

Last November, she was inducted into the inaugural Malaysian Advertising Hall of Fame by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia.