Malaysian Singer Siti Sarah Raissuddin Dies of Coronavirus Days After Giving Birth

Days after giving birth to her fourth child, singer Siti Sarah Raissuddin died following her battle with COVID-19. She was 36 years old.

By Elyse Dupre Aug 11, 2021 1:07 PMTags
Siti Sarah RaisuddinInstagram

The music community has lost a star. 

Malaysian singer Siti Sarah Raissuddin died at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz on Monday, Aug. 9 following her battle with COVID-19, according to local newspaper New Straits Times. Her passing, the outlet reported, comes just days after she gave birth to her fourth child.

Per New Straits Times, her husband, comedian Shuib Sepahtu, revealed in a news report that he and his three older children Uwais Alqarni, 10, Dzahira Talita Zahra, 8, and Ariq Matin, 6 were able to video call with Siti Sarah before her death.

"With the help of the nurses and doctor, I was able to make the video call and that was the last time my kids and I would lay our eyes on her while she was still alive," he said in the report. "At the time, I saw tears streaming down her cheeks, as if she understood what we were saying to her. I was at the hospital later after the kids had gone to sleep and completed a Yassin recital, as well as prayers for her last night. However, I was not permitted to see her. I then returned home."

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Just two weeks ago, Siti Sarah confirmed in an Instagram post that she and her family members tested positive for COVID-19. According to New Straits Times, Shuib and the children tested negative for the virus after quarantining for 14 days but Siti Sarah, who was seven-months pregnant at the time, was taken to the hospital due to low oxygen levels on Aug. 4.

The publication reported she was then put into an induced coma so her baby, named Ayash Affan, could be delivered via surgery on Aug. 6. 

"She fought hard to save our baby," Shuib said in the news report, per New Straits Times. "The name Ayash Affan was her choice, through her reading she said that it related to a fighter in the Gaza region."

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After news of Siti Sarah's passing broke, both her and her husband's brands paid tribute on social media, featuring her picture and the dates 1984 – 2021. The Malaysian king and queen expressed their condolences, as well. "Their Majesties also expressed their sadness over her passing," a Facebook post translated by the BBC read, "and hoped that her family will be patient and resilient as they cope with the loss."

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