TO MOST Malaysians, he was the father of pop princess Siti Nurhaliza.

But Mr Taruddin Ismail was the mentor and driving force behind Malaysia's best-selling pop artiste.

The 67-year-old former police officer was also the man who crafted the 30-year-old singer's clean-cut image.

Mr Taruddin died after surgery complications on Sunday morning.

He was admitted for surgery on Friday for a heart by-pass, but went into a coma.

Before the surgery, he had tried to console a worried, tearful Siti by saying 'I'm not going yet', her sister-in-law and manager Rozi Abdul Razak, told The Star.

Siti's husband, Datuk Khalid Mohd Jiwa, told Bernama that the death was a shock to the family, as Mr Taruddin had otherwise seemed healthy and had made plans to go for haj later this year.

Mr Taruddin was buried in Kuala Lipis, Pahang, where Siti and her siblings grew up, after the evening prayers on Sunday.

He leaves behind seven children and 10 grandchildren.

Attempts to contact Siti were unsuccessful as she was too distraught to entertain press enquiries.

But in photos from the prayer ceremony prior to the burial, Siti was seen red-eyed and inconsolable.

In a short interview with Malaysian entertainment news website Murai, she said: 'I accept this loss even though I've lost a father for whom there is no replacement in this world.

'At least he has been able to see my success from the beginning.'

Three days before his death, Mr Taruddin had reminded her to not 'cry too much', reported Murai.

Extremely protective

Mr Taruddin was known in the industry for being extremely protective over Siti, the fifth of his eight children.

Throughout her meteoric rise since 1995, he was known to constantly remind her of her kampung roots.

Siti is one of the few Malaysian female singers who keeps to a strict dress code, thanks to his advice.

Despite her large male fanbase, she would only call up female members of the audience to interact with her.

At awards shows, concerts and press conferences, Mr Taruddin was a constant fixture, ushering his daughter from interview to interview with a protective arm around her.

Malaysian Berita Harian's entertainment columnist Cik Normah said in an obituary on Monday that 'Siti's late father has never stopped giving Siti support and advice'.

She recounted that at the launch for her most recent album of traditional music, Lentera Timur, she saw Mr Taruddin smiling brightly, 'proud because Siti was not just a successful pop singer but also a singer who is popularising traditional music'.

Kept her kampung girl image

In an interview with Berita Harian in 1999, he said he was adamant about not letting Siti forget her kampung girl image.

He related that when Siti was first starting out, he had sat her down to ask her about her priorities.

'I asked her whether she was looking for fame, or whether she was doing it to help her parents. Her niat (intention) had to be right,' he said.

At the time, Siti was just 16, and required her parents' permission to join RTM Juara Bintang, the singing competition that launched her career.

It was only after she promised her father that she was not merely out to seek fame that he agreed to sign her contract for the show.

At 18 and being wooed by Suria Records for a five-year contract, the filial daughter still turned to her father for approval, even though she was not legally required to.

The record label executive who pursued her at the time, Sham Amir Hussain, told Berita Harian that though Siti was excited about her contract, she insisted on discussing it with her parents first.

In 2001, her brother Saiful Bahari, also known as Ayie, told Malaysian magazine Wanita that Siti's image as a sweet and gentle kampung girl was no act, attributing it to the discipline instilled by their parents.

'She has always been a good daughter, and someone who takes care of her image, and the way she acts,' he said.

Speaking about her success, Mr Taruddin had told Berita Harian: 'I feel proud that she has done well. But I always remind her to keep her record clean. Money and fame is temporary. So is her voice.'

This article was first published in The New Paper.