U-Wei's wife found dead in waters off Alameda, California

The wife of leading Malaysian award-winning film director U-Wei Saari was found dead last Friday, in the waters off Alameda in California, United States.

Diana Gail, 62, was reported missing in Oakland, California on Jan 22, and her colleagues were reported to have last seen her about 10am local time on that day.

The San Francisco Chronicle in its online portal www.sfgate.com said her body was found by a marine unit from the Oakland Police Department on Friday evening (local time).

U Wei, real name Zuhir, in a reply to Bernama via Whatsapp, declined to comment, except to say, "Thank you and call for prayers for her." Earlier on Wednesday, U-Wei posted his entry in the Facebook: "I love you, Usah (Gail)."

The site was filled with condolences since yesterday from family members and his friends in the film industry, including Sabri Yunus, Pyanhabib, Khalid Salleh, Siti Zainon Ismail and Eman Manan.

Gail was a director of publications at Independent Institute, a non-profit, think-tank at 100, Swan Way in Oakland.

Meanwhile, Independent Institute in its website stated that prior to the institute, Gail was managing editor for CMP Media and Backbeat books where she produced trade books on music, digital video and computer engineering.

She had also lived and worked in Kuala Lumpur for many years where she was managing editor for the Malaysian Naturalist magazine.

She received a Bachelor of Arts from University of Tennessee and a Master's degree in Arts in International Affairs from Ohio University.