Bumiputra Rockers guitarist Haron Amat dead at 55 after battle with leukaemia

Haron Amat of Malaysian rock band Bumiputra Rockers has died at 55 after a months-long battle with leukaemia.

According to reports from Malaysian media yesterday (April 4), the guitarist had passed away at Ampang Hospital in Kuala Lumpur. He had reportedly been admitted to the intensive care unit on March 3 following his diagnosis earlier this year, though he was later discharged.

He had been undergoing chemotherapy sessions following his discharge from the hospital, his daughter Hana Nafisah Haron told Berita Harian Online. “These last few months, my father had been getting sick recently,” she explained, adding that he had developed rashes that could only be treated with skin creams despite not having any previous history of chronic illnesses.

“It was just this morning that we were informed of his passing. We accept this fate.”

Haron was buried at the Taman Selasih Islamic Cemetery in Gombak after Zohor prayers later that day. He is survived by his wife and four children.

Haron joined Bumiputra Rockers in 1988 following the departure of founding member Yem C. The band would go on to release four full-length albums with Haron, which included hits such as ‘Dari Sinar Mata’, ‘Sudah Sampai Sini’, and ‘Ku Tanggung Cinta Dusta Yang Membara’.

The band’s last release came in their 1996 album ‘Semangat Melayu’, though they would later release an unplugged acoustic album in 1999.

The band would come together in 2006 for a reunion concert 16 years after going their separate ways. The concert was released in the form of a 16-track live album that spanned their discography of six studio albums.

In 2019, Bumiputra Rockers held a charity concert for the Selangor Friendship Cooperative – a show that made headlines for having emergency services stationed outside the venue in case of any health issues that could arise for the band members, who were then aged between 53 and 58, during the performance.

Haron did not participate in the concert, with lead vocalist Joey telling Malay Mail that despite multiple attempts to contact the guitarist, “he has not responded and we assume he has no interest in participating in this concert”.

Several covers have been released in tribute to the band. Notably, hip-hop group Ruffedge released a cover of the song ‘Seribu Tahun Takkan Mungkin’ in 2004.

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