SEREMBAN, MALAYSIA - The last surviving veteran of the Battle of Pasir Panjang, Private Ujang Mormin, died of Covid-19 at the Sungai Buloh Hospital in Selangor at 5.05pm on Tuesday (Feb 9), almost exactly 79 years after the Japanese empire executed the final stage of its invasion of Singapore during World War II.
Pte Ujang was 100 years old and his grand-niece, Ms Lailawati Jamil, 59, confirmed his death to Bernama news agency when contacted on Tuesday.
Pte Ujang was admitted to the Sungai Buloh Hospital on Jan 26 after testing positive for Covid-19. Four days before his death, his condition turned critical. He had, prior to this, expressed his longing to meet relatives and friends, as if he knew the time had come, but due to the current Covid-19 situation, we could not visit him, Ms Lailawati said.