Saturday, April 12, 2014
KOTA BARU, MALAYSIA - The married couple which was killed in the express bus accident on Saturday morning were making a surprise visit home, but their planned surprise turned into shock instead for relatives when informed of their demise.
Zarifah Alias, 26, and her Somali husband Saeed Mohamad Mohamud Abdalla, 31, had told relatives they planned to return to her hometown, but did not say when they would be visiting.
"I don't know when exactly she was planning to come home because they wanted it to be a surprise," said Zarifah's sister Zalilawati Alias, 42.
"The last time they did so was in February, but she was experiencing morning sickness and had to be admitted to Lati Hospital in Pasir Mas for treatment," she said, adding that Zarifah last spoke to their mother two days ago.
Zarifah, who was five-months pregnant, was a post-graduate student at Universiti Malaya, while her husband was pursuing a doctorate degree in management at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
Saeed Mohamad was also planning to obtain Malaysian permanent resident (PR) status, according to his close friend, Muhammad Zaki Omar, 29.
Saeed Mohamad Mohamud Abdalla (above) and his wife Zarifah Alias wwere on their way to visit relatives when the fatal accident occurred.
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"Saeed was very keen to stay in this country and was in the process of applying for a Malaysian PR.
"He had told me about it frequently, especially after the wedding," he said.
Muhammad Zaki said he had known Saeed Mohamad since 2009 and he had been active in programmes organised by non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
They couple were among the three who perished in the accident at KM11 of Jalan Bentong-Raub near Bilut early Saturday morning.
Also killed was Suhaisam Che Abdulla, 33, from Kg Sg Masin Batang Kali, Selangor.
10 others suffered serious injuries and were treated at the Bentong District Hospital and Temerloh District Hospital.
The double-decker bus was carrying 68 passengers and was heading to Kota Baru from Kuala Lumpur when the mishap occurred. - Bernama
Source: The Star Online