BATU PAHAT – Two siblings, Hasya Fahira Zulkifli, 11, and Muhammad Adam, eight, lost both their parents in an accident along Jalan Yong Peng-Muar, near Parit Yaani, on Sunday.
In an emotional scene at the Forensic Medicine Department of Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital (HSNI), Hasya Fahira, who was in a wheelchair after sustaining injuries and burns, repeatedly kissed her parents goodbye while saying, “Kakak loves mummy and daddy”.
Their parents, Tengku Syafirana Tengku Abdullah, 44, and Mohd Hardi Mohd Husin, 46, were killed after a lorry carrying a load of tar crushed the multipurpose vehicle (MPV) they were travelling in.
Mohd Hardi's younger brother, Muhamad Ihsan, 30, said he struggled to break the news of their parents' deaths to his niece and nephew yesterday afternoon.
“I found it difficult to tell them because it was not just one parent, but both of them who had died. They are still young.
“When they found out, they cried. They are still children, so I tried to comfort them both,” he said when met at the HSNI Forensic Medicine Department on Sunday night.
He said the couple had taken their children to a supermarket in Yong Peng on the day of the accident to buy their monthly necessities.
“They focused most of their attention on their family. My brother was the breadwinner while his wife looked after the children. They would only go out together when there was an important matter to attend to.
“Usually, they would go shopping every month, including buying necessities for the children,” he said.
Recalling how he learnt about the accident, Muhamad Ihsan said he received calls from friends and villagers at about 1pm.
“When I checked the messages in the village WhatsApp group, I saw my brother's car. I knew that car very well, and that was when I realised my brother's family had been involved in the accident,” he said.
Muhamad Ihsan said he was ready to raise both his niece and nephew.