Losing Ami a wound that will never fully heal, says father

New Straits Times

17-05-2025

JOHOR BARU: One year ago today, Azhar Khaiden's life changed forever when a man launched a brutal attack on the Ulu Tiram police station, killing two constables.
Azhar, 55, and his wife lost their fourth child, Ahmad Azza Fahmi Azhar. His seven siblings lost a beloved brother.
"Ever since he left us, we have missed him deeply," he said.
Azza, fondly called Ami by the family, fellow constable Muhamad Syafiq Ahmad Said, 24, and Corporal Mohd Hasif Roslan, 38, were on duty at the station in the early hours of May 17, last year, when the incident occurred.
Azhar said not a day goes by without the family thinking of their "kind and dedicated" Azza.
He said Azza was proud to be a policeman and even helped repaint the station and carried out electrical repairs in his own time.
"He treated the station like his home. He just wanted it to look nice," said Azhar, a retired teacher.
He also recalled how his son helped with home improvement work, including wiring and painting, especially during Hari Raya.
"He was always by my side," he said, reflecting on the happy days with his son.
Though the pain of the loss remains, the family found some solace in the naming of a surau built near their hometown in Bidor, Perak, Surau Al-Fahmi, which was named after Azza.
"It was our dream to have a new surau for our kampung. We never thought it would happen only after his passing," said Azhar of the surau, which opened in February.
Tonight, the family will host a tahlil ceremony to mark the first anniversary of Azza's death.
Azhar said his daughter, Nur Azza Assyaadah, 20, hopes to follow in her brother's footsteps and has already completed several stages of police recruitment.
"I've told my children, death can come anywhere, anytime. But service to the nation must continue."
Another son, he added, is also serving as a traffic policeman in Perak.