Veteran journalist Joshua Purushotman dies at 66 after heart attack, police classify case as sudden death in Selayang
PETALING JAYA: Veteran journalist Joshua Purushotman, a former associate editor at theSun, has died at the age of 66.
The news was confirmed by his brother, fellow veteran journalist G. Umakanthan, who was notified by the Gombak police early this morning.
It is understood that Purushotman’s remains were discovered in the driver’s seat of a parked vehicle in Selayang.
A post-mortem examination later confirmed that he had suffered a fatal heart attack, believed to have occurred on April 7. The Gombak police have since classified the case as a sudden death.
Purushotman began his career at theSun in 1995 and was instrumental in establishing the newspaper’s Johor bureau, where he served as a staff correspondent for several years.
Former colleague Patrick Sennyah recalled his professional impact, noting that he was responsible for breaking several major stories regarding water issues in Johor.
His tenacity led him to become one of the first journalists at theSun to secure front-page leads for more than five consecutive days.
His extensive career in journalism included stints at the New Straits Times, Singapore’s Today, The Heat and the Phnom Penh Post in Cambodia, before he returned to theSun in 2021.
Beyond the newsroom, he applied his expertise to the public relations sector and served with the National Kidney Foundation.
Funeral services will be held at Fook Yee Memorial Centre in Petaling Jaya on April 11 at 9am.
