'Ritchie's death a great loss to Sarawak's journalist fraternity'
His former classmate at St Thomas Secondary School, Edgar Ong, confirmed that James died at the hospital where he was admitted yesterday for an undisclosed sickness.
He said James was in touch with him yesterday, but did not know that the veteran journalist was sick.
"He sent me a selfie of himself yesterday at 12.43pm ," Ong, who is a close family friend of James and his wife, Helen, said, referring to a photograph that James had sent to him through WhatsApp.
Veteran broadcast journalist Basri Mohamad, who is also Tokoh Wartawan Kenyalang Sarawak 2024, said James was an adventurous journalist who often journeyed deep into the interior to meet the Penan and the Orang Ulu communities to observe their way of life and share their stories.
"His passing is a great loss to the journalist fraternity in Sarawak," Basri said, adding that James was passionate about his work, deeply committed, and genuinely cared about the people in the rural heartlands.
"It is heartbreaking to hear of his passing. His legacy will live on through the stories he told and the lives he touched," Basri added.
Former "New Straits Times" Sarawak bureau chief Joseph Bingkasan said James was writing articles for the former's online portal from 1.55am today, with his last line recorded at 9.41 am.
He said during that period, James did not indicate that he was unwell.
"He was writing about his family's migration from Europe to Malaya and then Sarawak.
"He was starting to write how his family moved to Kuching, then suddenly he stopped writing at 9.41am today," Bingkasan said.
He said James wrote the article on his mobile phone and then sent it to him via the WhatsApp application.
"Sarawak Tribune" associate editor Rajah Murugayah said James was his mentor in the 1980s.
He said that despite James being with NST and himself with the "Borneo Post", James frequently coached him on writing good features.
Meanwhile, "Sarawak Tribune" reporter Priscilla Tawie said she saw James alone having his "kolo mee" at a coffee shop at Jalan Song yesterday morning.
"I did not expect that he died this morning," she said, adding that he had shown no signs of illness.
James was NST Sarawak staff correspondent for many years.
He left the company in the late 1990s and became a freelance journalist, concentrating his efforts to writing books.
During his time with NST in Kuching, he had won numerous journalism awards.
He was named Tokoh Wartawan last year during the national-level Hari Wartawan celebration, which was held in Kuching.
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