KUALA MUDA: Abdul Hamid Hassan broke down in tears on the morning of Hari Raya Aidiladha today, overcome with grief as thoughts of his late stepson, Muhammad Fahmi Jamel, 19, flooded his mind.
The 54-year-old odd job worker said this year’s celebration felt empty without Fahmi, who had shown much promise as a welding student at the National Youth Skills Institute (IKBN) Jitra branch.
“He was a good child.
“He never talked back, and I would never lay a hand on him.
“He was my hope, he was my ‘orang kuat’ (strong man),” he said, his voice breaking as he spoke at their home in Jeniang Town.
Fahmi was one of three 19-year-old students from IKBN Jitra who were killed in a road accident while riding home on two motorcycles to celebrate Aidiladha.
The other victims were Muhamad Habil Mohd Sobri from Gurun and Muhamad Arif Aifan Derani from Bukit Selambau, Sungai Petani.
Another student, Muhammad Adib Aiman Mohamad Hasan, also 19, who was riding pillion, is currently receiving treatment at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital.
Fahmi’s mother, Siti Fatimah Mat Rejab, 45, said her son had been looking forward to wearing a new black outfit – a matching shirt and trousers – that he had ordered days earlier.
“It’s difficult to accept, but I’ve come to terms with it.
“Alhamdulillah, he passed away peacefully, on a blessed day.
“He was excited to come home. The clothes arrived on Tuesday… he would have worn them today,” she said, holding back tears.
She said Fahmi, who was well-loved by his peers, had planned to spend Hari Raya Aidiladha with his hometown friends.
“He had many friends.
“He planned to celebrate Raya with them and made a lot of memories with them.
“Whenever he was back home, you could always hear him playing the guitar and singing in his room.
“We still can’t bring ourselves to enter that room,” she added.
Fahmi was laid to rest at 1am today at a cemetery near their grandfather’s home in Kampung Berona Kanan, Sik, next to his grandfather, Mat Rejab Awang Kecil.
A similarly sombre atmosphere lingered at the home of Habil in Kampung Lubuk Reba, Padang Lembu, Gurun.
His parents, Mohd Sobri Kamis, 47, and Sarah Abdul Rasid, 41, were still reeling from the loss.
“I told myself I have to accept this as fate – that my son is gone and this is Allah’s will… but it’s painful, as it came as a major shock to us because he was healthy this whole time,” said Sarah, a Quran and Fardhu Ain (Kafa) teacher.
The family had planned a surprise balik kampung trip to Bagan Serai, Perak, for the holiday, which was cancelled following the tragedy.
“We didn’t tell him because we knew he’d be overjoyed. We had everything ready and were just waiting for him to come home,” said Sobri, who was holding a blue shirt meant for Habil – the family’s Aidiladha theme colour.
In tears, Sobri said Habil had dreamed of working as a welder on offshore platforms and was seen as the family’s hope for the future.
“We buried him in a nearby cemetery, and Alhamdulillah, the process went smoothly. Everything was completed by around 1am this morning,” he said.
In the 2.10pm accident on Thursday, the motorcycles the victims were riding crashed into a multi-purpose vehicle at Km49.4 of the North-South Expressway.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
