CNA Cameraman Passes Away in Accident on M’sia Highway While On The Way to Airport

In a tragic motorcycle accident on a highway in Malaysia, a 45-year-old lost his life.

The deceased, Mr Khairul Zainnudin, was a cameraman for news outlet Channel NewsAsia (CNA). He died on the way to pick his wife up from the airport, in a collision with another motorcyclist.

Collided On Highway In Malaysia

In the afternoon of June 4, a crash between two motorcycles occurred at Km43 of the Karak-Kuala Lumpur highway in Malaysia.

According to the Bentong district police, Mr Khairul had lost control of his motorcycle while heading to Kuala Lumpur, and crashed into a road divider. 

The strength of the impact threw him into the opposite lane, into the path of an approaching motorcycle. The 46-year-old driver did not manage to avoid Mr Khairul, and ended up crashing into him.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel, due to the severe head injuries he sustained.

The other motorcyclist sustained minor injuries, and is being treated in hospital for them.

The case is currently under police investigation.

On The Way To Pick His Wife Up From Airport

At the time of the collision, Mr Khairul had been on his way to the airport to pick his wife up.

He was returning to Kuala Lumpur, after visiting his parents in Kuantan over the weekend.

The journey from Pahang to his destination in Kuala Lumpur would have taken around three hours by motorcycle.

Mr Khairul was 45 years old, and he did not have children.

Remembered Fondly By Colleagues

Mr Khairul was remembered fondly by his colleagues at CNA. He had worked in CNA’s Kuala Lumpur Bureau for five years, prior to his death.

His supervisor Melissa Goh, Senior Correspondent for CNA’s Malaysia Bureau, took to Twitter to convey her condolences to his family.

Gone too soon . Khairul Azman Zainuddin (1978 – 2023). Cameraman with CNA Malaysia since 2018, he’s professional, dedicated and has a fine eye for details . Above all , he’s a jolly good fellow who introduced me to paintball . May your
soul RIP🕊 . https://t.co/WvqOwj6hru pic.twitter.com/YJqs4naIci

— Melissa Goh (@MelGohCNA) June 4, 2023

In her tweet, she called him “professional, dedicated” and a “jolly good fellow”.

“Khairul is like a big brother to all of us,” she wrote.

His other colleagues remembered him as kind and capable, and highlighted that he would take care of everyone.

Malaysia’s Minister of Communications and Digital also expressed his condolences to the deceased’s family on Twitter in Malay. 

Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un.

Salam takziah buat keluarga Allahyarham Khairul Azman Zainuddin, jurukamera Channel NewsAsia yang telah meninggal dunia sebentar tadi.

Semoga keluarga Allahyarham tabah dengan ujian ini.

Al-Fatihah. pic.twitter.com/u8SXIeAR1d

— Fahmi Fadzil 🇲🇾 (@fahmi_fadzil) June 4, 2023

Mr Khairul also worked as a video editor, and was involved in the makings of several award-winning productions.

In a statement on Monday by Mediacorp, the company expressed that they were “deeply saddened” by his passing, and had reached out to Mr Khairul’s family to extend their condolences, and acknowledged his contributions over the years.

The statement praised the cameraman for his dedication, citing his importance in the Kuala Lumpur Bureau. They also revealed they were currently providing support to staff affected by the tragic incident.