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oted Indonesian poet and playwright W.S. Rendra passed away on Thursday at about 10 p.m. at Mitra Keluarga Hospital in Depok, south of Jakarta. He was 74 years old. He had suffered a heart attack some weeks ago, but had subsequently been released.

"It's true *he died* but I can't say anything now. I'm sorry," said one of Rendra's children, Maryam Supraba, as quoted by detik.com.

A close friend of Rendra, Leon Agusta, said the body of the poet - popularly referred to as "the Peacock" - would be laid to rest at his Bengkel Teater workshop in Citayam, Depok.

Two days ago, Rendra's best friend, singer Urip Ariyanto, better known as Mbah Surip, died and his remains were buried in the back yard of the same workshop. Rendra had received medical treatments at several hospitals since falling ill on June 30.

The poet, whose full name was Willibrordus Surendra Broto Rendra, was born in Surakarta, Central Java, on Nov. 7, 1935.

He produced several noted works including Empat Kumpulan Sajak (Four Collections of Poems, 1961-1978) and wrote short stories and dramas that led him to win several awards; Orang-orang di tikungan jalan (People at the Corners) received the Yogyakarta Culture and Education Agency Award in 1954; a rhyme titled Balada Orang-orang Tercinta (Loved Ones' Ballad, 1957); and his book Tentang Bermain Drama (A Book on Drama, 1970) which resulted in an Arts Award from the Culture and Education Ministry.