In the incident at about noon today, Naizura Mohamed, 42, collapsed on stage while taking part in a dikir barat performance with her students.
The incident occurred in full view of about 700 people in the audience which included students, teachers and school staff.
Following her collapse, Naizura was rushed to the Tendong Health Clinic here. Headmaster Zulhadi Mahamad said she was given emergency treatment but was pronounced dead 30 minutes later.
When contacted, he said Naizura, who had taught Bahasa Melayu at the school for 12 years, had a record of heart disease and was receiving treatment at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital in Kubang Kerian.
Zulhadi said before the programme started, Naizura had seemed tired and the other teachers advised her to rest in the teachers’ room or go home. However, she insisted on participating in the finale with her students.
Naizura, who was from Kampung Alor Durian here, was buried at the Kampung Perangkap Muslim Cemetery at about 6pm.
According to her husband, Kamarul Azhar Ahmad, 44, Naizura was cheerful in the morning before going to school as she was looking forward to the Teachers’ Day celebrations.
“She underwent a bypass operation in 2009 and was never sick after that.
“We never expected this to happen at a time when all teachers were celebrating Teachers’ Day,” Kamarul, who is himself a teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Gelang Mas here, said.
The couple have four children, aged between 12 and 21.