The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) is deeply saddened by the sudden demise of acclaimed Director, Yasmin Ahmad, at Damansara Specialist Hospital in Kuala Lumpur at 11.25pm on Saturday 25 July 2009.
 
2    The late Yasmin Ahmad was best known for the movies she directed between 2003 and 2008, which delved into issues such as religion, parental abandonment and inter-racial relationships, as well as heartfelt television commercials that focused on family and community bonding.

3    Yasmin was invited by MCYS in 2007 to help raise public awareness of important issues of concern to families in Singapore. She produced and directed two groundbreaking campaign TV commercials, ‘Red Shoes’ in June 2008 and ‘Funeral’ in April 2009, that are today still inspiring Singaporeans and people beyond Singapore via the Internet. 

4    Through her fearless, slice-of-life portrayals that are unapologetically real yet profoundly heartwarming, Yasmin had redefined the concept of engaging people.  Her pro-family works for MCYS stand out as heartfelt statements highlighting the importance of the family as a keystone of society.

5    Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan extends his deepest sympathies to her family for their sudden loss.  He says, “I will always remember Yasmin’s smile, her sincerity, her creativity and the way her messages resonated so powerfully in our hearts because of her extraordinary sense of humour and honesty.”

6    Mr Lim Soon Hock, Chairman of the National Family Council, says, “Yasmin is a rare and extraordinary talent blessed with the ability to communicate compelling and engaging messages that resonate through the cross-section of society. Her honest and heartfelt projection of family issues in her TV commercials and in her movies have certainly added a new dimension to our public outreach efforts. I am glad to have had the privilege of meeting and working with Yasmin.”

Issued by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.