The Malaysian Insight

NORHAYATI Khalid was taken by surprise when her youngest son, Amiel Ashraff Abdul Rashid, handed her a note yesterday, telling her she should read it at home after dropping him off at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah Tahfiz Centre.

Little did she know that the gesture would be the last exchange between them.

Amiel was among 23 tahfiz students and teachers killed in a predawn blaze at the newly built tahfiz school in Kuala Lumpur today.

“He used to hand me notes, wishing me well, wishing me Mother’s Day, but this was the first time he wrote about how he wished his good deeds would help me and his dad get into heaven,” said the 42-year-old when met in Keramat this afternoon.

In the handwritten note, Amiel said: “Mum and dad, please forgive Amiel if I did anything wrong. Thank you for taking care of me all this while. I do not know how else I can repay all the things that you have done for me. All I can do is go to tahfiz (religious school) to help you get into heaven.”

Norhayati’s heart was shattered when she was informed that Amiel was one of the victims of the fire.

“He told me that he prayed every night for God to grant me and his dad good health.”

Amiel, the youngest of four siblings, had happily told his mother that he had completed one surah in the Quran.

“He had been there (the tahfiz school) for only three months, and had completed memorising Al-Baqarah,” said Norhayati.

She said she did not blame the school for the fire.

“It is all fated. God loves him more.”

Asked if she had noticed that the dorm was overcrowded, Norhayati disagreed that it was.

“It looks good. It has air conditioning. Parents, especially the mothers, are not encouraged to visit the dorm as it is an all-boys school.”

Amiel’s body will be buried in a mass grave with the other victims at the Muslim cemetery in Karak today.

The remains of the victims were found in one dorm.

The Fire and Rescue Department said the students and teachers who died were trying to escape the fire by climbing out of a window, which had fixed grilles.

The remains of those who died were found scattered in the dorm. Some were found near the door, some were on top of each other close to the wall near the beds, while others were holding on to each other under the beds.

The bodies were taken to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital mortuary for identification and a post-mortem. – September 14, 2017.