Friends mourn loss of ‘Bintulu’s multi-talented son’ Mahmud Yussop

BINTULU (Sept 24): Bintulu today mourned the loss of a prominent figure after Mahmud Yussop passed away age 73 at the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching on Tuesday.

He was laid to rest at the Kemunting Muslim cemetery today.

Born on Oct 14, 1951, the late Mahmud was a man of many talents and being a historian and former government servant, deeply engaged in many local issues. A member of the Anaq Vaie Bintulu Association, he contributed greatly to preserving and sharing the history and culture of the Vaie people on various platforms.

The Borneo Post contacted his friends and colleagues, who shared their fondest and cherished memories of him.

Former Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) general manager Datu Rodziah Morshidi said: “Bintulu has lost its multi-talented son.”

When contacted, she could not hold back tears as she remembered the late Mahmud’s contributions and sacrifices and her voice trembled with emotion as she spoke of the many ways he had touched her life as her boss and mentor in BDA in the early 80s.

“I was interviewed by him for my first permanent job after graduation in 1983 — I was 25 and he was my first and the best boss I ever had. He asked me why I wanted the job; I said I wanted to be part and parcel of the development taking place in Bintulu and alhamdullillah, I was offered the job and reported directly to him,” she recalled.

Rodziah admired him for his incredible versatility, as he could sing, play the guitar, paint, write poems and had a passion for landscaping and beautifying Bintulu. The Tumbina was one of his project brainchilds.

“I remember he was an avid reader who often shared his knowledge with the staff. He would circulate passages and excerpts from books he read, ensuring we all benefitted from his insights.

“When he left BDA, I felt a significant loss as we lost someone who could steer BDA to greater heights. Personally, it was a big loss for me because his passion for landscaping and beautification to make Bintulu a better place was palpable. Perhaps it was because he was a local, but his enthusiasm for seeing Bintulu develop into a better and more beautiful place was evident in his passionate work,” she said.

She said in the 80s, Mahmud — who was then BDA assistant general manager — was already working diligently on beautification and landscaping; perhaps because he foresaw the importance of these efforts in making a place attractive to tourists.

“He was a talented painter, singer and songwriter. When I met his wife a few days ago, I asked about a painting he had. According to her, he had been fighting cancer for over a year. He went for treatment in Kuching several times but when he returned this time, the cancer had already spread.

“I met him on the 22nd and saw the medical devices had been removed, so I knew his time was limited,” she said.

Dr Kamil Salem, a close friend of the late Mahmud, said the latter often assisted him during his talks on marketing and entrepreneurship, particularly in Sibuti, Limbang and Lawas.

“He was my personal tutor during my MBA, especially for subjects related to administration because he is a very experienced administrator.

“He was also a music composer, lyric writer and singer. Every time he was in Kuching, he came with his wife to my studio to discuss his song compositions and even record some songs. His latest recorded song is a cover of ‘Country Road’,” he said.

He recalled Mahmud liked photography, and whenever he had a good shot of nature around his garden, he would send it to him.

“He is a nature man. His house in Bintulu did not use electricity; he used ‘pelita’ and candles to sleep. Instead of electricity, he used a genset if he had to use his laptop.

“He rarely got sick and was usually a strong man — even harvesting oil palm fruits by himself. Despite his age, driving from Bintulu to Kuching and back was no problem for him,” said the music producer, composer, arranger and Nonakrafcreative director.

He disclosed that some of Mahmud’s unfinished work involved several song compositions in the Vaie language and he had been told this project required time as he needed to incorporate the rich cultural elements of the Vaie community into the music.

Meanwhile, another former BDA general manager Datu Mohidin Ishak said Mahmud was a close friend and that they were at the Bintulu Government Secondary School (now known as SMK Bintulu) in 1964 in Form 1 albeit in different classes.

After completing Form 3 and passing the Sarawak Junior Examination, they went to Tanjong Lobang School.

“In fact, we flew together from Bintulu to Lutong-Miri and reported together at the school. In later years, we both worked at the BDA,” he said.

Mohidin said Mahmud had always been a friendly person both in school and in the workplace.

“He was an artist; good and talented in art. He has done well to the Bintulu landscape, especially setting up what you see at Taman Tumbina Bintulu today. Unfortunately, he left BDA early. Bintulu might have had more interesting achievements in environmental and landscape development (if he had not left),” he said.

As for Dato Professor Mohammad Majid, he said the passing of his childhood friend marked the loss of a remarkable individual.

“His contributions to Bintulu, from his early days as an educator using radio broadcasts to reach remote areas to his pivotal role in the town’s development during the oil boom era reflects a deep commitment to progress and community.

“Mahmud’s legacy, particularly in documenting the history of Bintulu and his influence on its urban landscape, will continue to inspire future generations. May his soul find eternal peace and his memory be a beacon of inspiration,” he said.

He noted that Mahmud was one of the few original Vaie Segan (native of Bintulu) who zealously wrote down the history of Bintulu in his blogs and Facebook posts.