KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — A sudden heart attack claimed the life of Terengganu’s sole Catholic priest on Saturday.
Reverend Father Phillips Muthu died aged 56 while preparing for dinner with parishioners in Chukai when he complained of chest pain.
Paramedics sought to provide him with emergency treatment after he collapsed, but failed, The Herald Malaysia Online, the country’s local Catholic news portal reported.
“He had held a catechism and youth programme for children at the Chukai chapel the whole day yesterday and followed it up with brisk walk for exercise late in the evening,” Alexander Hilbert, a senior parishioner, was quoted saying.
Phillips was ordained as a priest 26 years ago and was a parish priest of the Assumption Church in Petaling Jaya, Selangor before he was transferred to head the Catholic Missions in Kuala Terengganu, Dungun and the St Philip Minh chapel in Chukai in 2011.
A wake will be held for the Rawang native at the Church of St Jude in his hometown today while his funeral mass will take place tomorrow at 11am.
Phillips will be buried at the Kajang Christian Cemetery.
