Veteran local actor Raffi Khan dies at 61
Veteran Singaporean actor Raffi Khan died at Sengkang Community Hospital on Oct 23 after a battle with rectal cancer. He was 61.
The news of his death was confirmed by his niece, who told Malay news outlet BeritaMediacorp that he was admitted to the hospital more than three weeks ago.
According to BeritaMediacorp, Raffi’s son, Mr Mohammad Shaqeer Khan Mohammad Raffi, said his father was diagnosed with stage four rectal cancer in December 2021, after noticing symptoms of constipation. Though he received chemotherapy, he stopped the treatment in October 2023.
“The pain was too severe, and the treatment he underwent showed no significant progress,” his son said.
Raffi’s health deteriorated quickly in the last few months, especially after Hari Raya Haji in June, as the cancer spread to his shoulder.
Raffi’s last words to his son were to ask him to take care of their family. He is survived by his wife, three children and seven grandchildren.
Raffi got his start in the performing arts as a wedding band guitarist in the early 1980s. In 1984, he joined the Sriwana theatre group to pursue his interest in acting.
He is best known for starring in the local Malay soap opera Gelora, which premiered on the Prime 12 channel (now known as Suria) in 1998. He played Murad, an entrepreneur and unfaithful husband. The popular series, which drew some 200,000 viewers during its debut season, ran its 160 episodes over three seasons.
He also took part in series such as Zakat Zakaria (2018) and Poskad Dari Alhambra (2020).
Suria made an Instagram post on Oct 23 in memory of the actor, saying: “This talented actor is also someone who was very liked and loved by his family, friends and those who have worked with him...
“Raffi Khan’s work and legacy will always be remembered, and his loss is a great loss for the local arts scene.”
Fellow Malay actor Fadhlur Rahman also paid tribute to Raffi on his Facebook page with a photo of himself visiting Raffi when he was hospitalised.
He wrote: “He was always my on-screen father on television shows in my early years of my involvement in the media industry. Always there for me to give advice and defend me when I have my critics.”
He added: “I still remember how he comforted me when my real father passed away years ago. I’ll never forget all these (memories)... It (broke) my heart to see him a couple of weeks back. We talked, laughed and cried together for the very last time.”
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