Dads recall last moments with sons

IPOH: The father of one of the victims of a fire at the Puncak Jelapang Maju industrial area here regrets not giving RM5 to his son before leaving for work on the day of the tragedy.

Mohd Husni Kasman, 47, from Kampung Sri Aman, Menglembu here, said Mohamad Nor Ikram, 16, the seventh of eight siblings, had asked him for the money but he did not have small change on him then.

“I told him to get the RM5 from my wife,” Mohd Husni said at the Forensic Department of the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here.

Abdul Rahman Bahak, 45, from Kampung Sri Aman, father of Mohd Nor Aiman, 16, said he felt strange that his son wanted to send him to work that day.

He said Mohd Nor Aiman, the eldest of four siblings, had just started the part-time job since the school holidays began as he wanted to help his parents.

“I was shocked to hear the news (about the incident) from a friend while at work,” said the lorry driver.

Another father, Mohd Kamari Talib, felt sad that his 16-year-old son’s wish to obtain a motorcycle licence was dashed with his sudden demise.

He said Mohd Ikhmal Izzuddin had been saving money and had so far raised RM140.

“Today is supposed to be his first day at work,” he added.

Mohd Kamari, 36, said all he knew was that his son was going to work part-time installing tents and canopies, adding that the breakfast he had with his son on Tuesday morning was their last time ­together.

Meanwhile, the families of the five victims have agreed that their remains be buried at a common grave in Kampung Kuala Pari Muslim cemetery in Menglembu here.

Mohamad Kamari said he had been called by the hospital to provide blood samples for the body identification process.

“We could not recognise our boy’s body because it was severely charred,” he said. — Bernama