Kota Kinabalu: A 40-year-old prison warden died after collapsing in front of a hotel in Sinsuran, here, on Thursday.Sabirin Saidi, from Kg Dumpiring, Kundasang, who was clad in a black shirt, light blue jeans and sandals, was discovered lying near the entrance of a premises by passersby who alerted the authorities.
According to an eyewitness, the man was walking before complaining about feeling dizzy and suddenly collapsed at about 10am.
A five-man rescue team from the Civil Defence Department rushed to the scene following a distress call at 10.38am, followed by hospital personnel who came soon after to assist.
City Police Chief ACP Jauteh Dikun said the man died on the way to the hospital, adding that no foul play was suspected and that the case is classified as sudden death.
Kota Kinabalu Central Prison Director Abdul Halim Ma-Hasan on Thursday expressed shocked over Sabirin's sudden death.
"I just met him at noon last Tuesday before leaving for Tawau, thus, even though we were aware that he had a record of chronic health problems, his death is a great shock to us because we didn't expect him to go that soon.
"The Kota Kinabalu Central Prison Department would like to express its condolences to the family of Sabirin and pledge to render support and assistance to his family in their time of grief," he said.
He said the department has arranged transportation to bring his body back to his hometown and donated funds from the Kota Kinabalu Central Prisons Department Fund for his funeral rites. It was learnt that he left behind a wife and three children.
