TAWAU: A father was crestfallen after receiving tragic news that his son, sister, mother and two nephews had died in an accident involving three vehicles at KM37 Jalan Semporna-Tawau, in Semporna yesterday.
Kanol Asan, 43, said he received the tragic news from his nephew about 5.30pm that his son Mohamad Nabil, 14, and other family members were killed in an accident.
Kanol said the accident occurred as his family members were heading to Semporna after attending a wedding at Batu 4, here.
"Nabil was a good son...he never argued with anyone and he knew how to keep his boundaries.
"He was also a good student and like other teenagers, always followed trends...the last time I saw him was on Saturday morning when he asked for RM2 but I said I needed it for work expenses.
"Nabil was very understanding of our family's situation and he never pestered me if I said 'no'. He called me twice at 8.30pm that night but I didn't know," he said when met at the Forensic Unit in Tawau Hospital today.
It was reported that six people were killed - including a baby boy, in an accident involving three vehicles - a car, a four-wheel drive and a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) - at KM37 Jalan Semporna-Tawau last night.
Kanol said that apart from Nabil, others who were in the car, his sister Jaimah, 30, and her two children Nur Inara Aida, 4, and Nur Aiman (6 months), his mother Asbira Ladjahani, 82, as well as his son's best friend Oyong, 18, also perished in the accident.
"The car was driven by my brother-in-law, Nur Hakim Mansur, 34 who is currently receiving treatment at the Tawau Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
"He had just returned from Johor a month ago to work at a resort construction site in Semporna.
"Hakim worked in Johor for a long time but then returned to work in Semporna because his wife and two children could not follow him to Johor...all this is God's will," he said.
Recalling the last moments, Kanol said his mother Asbira (whom he calls 'Inak') woke him up with a cup of coffee at 6am on Saturday and informed him that she wanted to attend a family wedding in Tawau.
"At that time my eyes were heavy, and I sipped the coffee in silence, but lately when I talked to Inak, she would dwell on topics related to death," said Kanol, occasionally tearing up as he spoke.
He said all the victims will be buried at the Muslim cemetery in Jalan Balai Polis in Semporna today. — BERNAMA