'Father, mother stunned to learn about brother's death', says victim's sister

SHAH ALAM - The atmosphere 'doa selamat' (special prayers) in preparation for a wedding in Taman Siam Kiri, Sungai Petani Kedah, yesterday turned sombre after receiving news of a family member's involvement in the plane crash tragedy in Elmina, Section U16, here.

Muhamad Hafiz Muhamad Salleh, 32, an e-hailing driver who happened to be at the incident location, was one of the 10 people killed in the crash.

The victim's younger sister, Norhikmah, 26, said that the entire family only learned about the incident around 8pm on the day it occurred.

"Yesterday, our family held a 'doa selamat' in preparation for my sister's wedding, who is also the second child.

"That night, my other siblings and I were in a meeting, preparing for my sister's event, which is scheduled for Aug 26.

"Around 8pm, my father received a call before the police arrived at our house.

"My father went to my mother to console her and advise her not to think negatively," she said with a choked voice when contacted by Sinar today.

Norhikmah also recounted that at that moment, the police informed them about the incident involving her late brother.

"Father and mother were stunned. We were speechless and didn't know what to say.

"We knew about the unfortunate incident, but we never expected it to involve my brother.

"Then, around 10pm, our family headed to the South Klang District Police Headquarters to confirm my late brother's DNA," she added.

Muhamad Hafiz, who was still single, was the eldest of five siblings.

It is understood that the late victim's remains are expected to be brought back to Taman Sidam Kiri, Sungai Petani, on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Norhikmah also expressed the family's hope that the public refrains from spreading images of the deceased out of respect for their sensitivity.

"We request that everyone pray for a smooth journey for our late brother in both this world and the hereafter," she concluded.