His brother, Rafique Rashid, 59, said Rehman is currently being treated at the Selayang Hospital.

“He did not have any other health conditions except for a fever that he recovered from recently. Other than that, he was at the peak of his health,” Rafique told NST Online.

Rehman, 62, was reported to have been cycling in Rawang when he had the heart attack.

Rehman, who studied Marine Biology at University College Swansea, Wales, worked with the Fisheries Research Institute in Penang and Universiti Putra Malaysia’s fisheries and marine science faculty.

In 1981, he became a journalist and rose to become associate editor and a well-known columnist.

He joined Asiaweek in Hong Kong as a senior writer and also served at the Bermuda Business magazine.

He is the author of several books: A Malaysian Journey, Pangkor: Treasure of the Straits, Small Town and Peninsula: A Story of Malaysia.