Rabitah Hamed (centre) with her three children and grandchild in a photo taken during Aidilfitri in 2019. Her children are (from left) Rushaniena Izani, 26, (holding her newborn baby), Rafiq Afif Rusman, 14, (2nd from right) and Ridwana Ardini, 19, (far right). Pic courtesy of Rabitah Hamed's family.

KULIM: The family of Rabitah Hamed, the Malaysian who was killed in a car accident in Griffith, Australia three days ago is faced with a dilemma.

This morning, they were told that the process to repatriate Rabitah's remains might take up to two months.

Rabitah's brother-in-law, Mukhti Mat Jusoh, 58, together with his wife, Zarina Hamed, 55, (Rabitah's sister) said they are still discussing the matter.

Mukhti said the family previously assumed the repatriation would only take only two to three weeks. However, a representative from the Malaysian High Commission in Australia informed them this morning that the process might take longer than that.

"We have been in constant contact with Wisma Putra, Rabitah's friends in Australia and our Malaysian High Commission over there.

"Previously, they (Wisma Putra) had called us to ask for our permission to proceed with the post-mortem, before proceeding to other matters such as insurance claims.

"During that (previous) phone call, they asked where we wished to conduct Rabitah's final rites: whether we wanted to conduct them in Australia or back home in Malaysia."

"We were informed the cost to bury her in Australia would be the same as the cost to bring her home.

"Upon hearing that, the family had decided to bring her remains home and conduct the funeral in her hometown in Pekan Ayer Hitam, Alor Star, because we assumed the (repatriation) process will only take around two to three weeks. "

Rabitah's family previously had said were trying to raise RM50,000 for the repatriation.

However, Mukhti told the NST today that the family was in a dilemma following the latest phone call from a Wisma Putra representative this morning.

"This morning, we received a phone call from a representative from the Malaysian High Commission in Australia. The representative updated us on Rabitah's post-mortem. The person also informed us about what needs to be done for the repatriation process, if we wished to proceed with it.

"Then, we were told that the (repatriation) process might take up to two months," he said when met in Jalan Sutera Indah, here today.

The family was also told by other parties about what will happen to Rabitah's remains during this process.

He said some people had told the family that there were specific procedures for preserving the dead, based on the experiences of other foreigners living in Australia.

Mukhti said the authorities handling her remains will need to proceed with a modern embalming methods.

This meant having her organs taken out, bodily fluids are drained, and gases released, the body is usually bathed in formaldehyde and alcohol or water for preservation, he said.

"Just the thought of that brings shivers to my spine.

"I couldn't bear to do that to my beloved sister-in-law. She was a cheerful and high-spirited 'adik'. We do not have the heart to do that to her body.

"After being told about this, our minds were filled with images of Rabitah's body returning home without having her internal organs or something. Such thoughts are too much for us."

To solve the problem, Mukhti said the family would discuss the matter before making any decision, and then later relay their decision to the authorities.

"Rabitah's elder and younger brothers are still around, and they are her next-of-kin. They will take up the responsibility to decide on this matter.

"We will deliberate on this," he said.

Mukhti said the family has started conducting tahlil for Rabitah. He said that he and his wife hoped that the family could performing the 'solat sunat ghaib' for Rabitah.

"It has been days and we are slowly coming to term with what had happened. I still can't wrap my head around this."

Mukhti said the RM50,000 (A$16,000) needed was solely for Rabitah's funeral rites.

"We are faced with two options, either to bring Rabitah's remains home or have her buried over there.

"However, if the families decided on the latter, we will be sending her children to Australia, to identify their mother's body and to pay their last respects.

"We would have to figure out on how we will pay for her children to fly to Australia."

Rabitah died in a road accident in Griffith, New South Wales, Australia on Monday.

It is understood that she was on her way home after work, when the car skidded before she was thrown out of the window.

The families are banking on the public's kindness in raising funds to help bring Rabitah's body home.

As of today, they have collected RM33,274 out of the RM50,000 needed to pay for her repatriation and arrangements in Australia.

Mukhti said the family was told today that the RM50,000 does not include any transporation costs via flight. - NST