Latest news with #Azuwan
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
'We made the wrong turn': Final words of woman in Jerantut crash that killed 5
JERANTUT: Housewife Norhayati Ismail was filled with excitement as four of her nieces and nephews from Bota, Perak, were on their way to celebrate Hari Raya Aidiladha at her home in Kampung Paya Gunung for the first time. Just past midnight earlier today, the 60-year-old was on the phone giving them directions to her house. They were less than 500 metres from the main junction when the call suddenly went silent. Moments later, she heard faint voices on the line saying "pengsan" (fainted) and "kemalangan" (accident), prompting her to ask her son to check their last known location. Shortly after, she received the devastating news that none of them had survived the crash. The four siblings, including another relative who was driving the Proton Bezza, were killed at the scene. Three others, including a woman travelling in a Toyota Alphard, sustained injuries. Speaking about the tragic incident, Norhayati said her niece, Nur Arfiqah Aziz Jaafar, 23, had called her shortly after midnight to inform her that they were nearby but had taken a wrong turn. "Arfiqah said they had entered a junction near a restaurant. "I told them to turn back and head to the next junction near Jerantut Feri. "We spoke for about five minutes before the call suddenly went silent. "Sometime later, I heard people speaking, but it was unclear until someone mentioned 'pengsan' and 'kemalangan'. "I sensed something was wrong and told my son to go check," she told reporters outside the forensic unit at Jerantut Hospital today. Norhayati said that at about 12.50am, her son, Muhammad Azuwan Arif Shah, 34, called to inform her that the car his four cousins were travelling in had been involved in an accident. Meanwhile, Azuwan said that after receiving the call from his mother, he rushed to the main road nearby to investigate. "When I arrived at the scene, it was chaotic. I saw two of them lying inside the car, while another was sprawled on the road. "Some passers-by had stopped to help. We found two other victims lying about 10 metres from the car," he said. Azuwan said that once the post-mortem procedures are completed, the victims' remains would be brought back to their hometown in Padang Kunchor, Bota, Perak, for burial. Norhayati said several other relatives had arrived in two cars on Thursday to celebrate Aidiladha at her home, while the crash victims were the last group to depart from Perak around 6pm yesterday.
The Star
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Despite tourism billions, Sabah villages stuck with dilapidated bridges, says Kota Belud Umno chief
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah may be raking in billions from tourism, but some visitors' hotspots in community villages are still relying on old, dilapidated wooden bridges, says Azuwan Marjan Norjan (pic). The Kota Belud Umno chief noted that the state recorded RM2.13bil in tourism revenue between January and March this year alone, with nearly a million visitor arrivals in the first quarter, including over 150,000 from China. 'This is supposedly proof that the state's tourism industry is on solid ground. However, some community-based tourism villages continue to be left behind with poor basic infrastructure,' he said. Azuwan pointed out that several community tourism spots still rely on old, narrow wooden bridges for access by both villagers and visitors. 'There are places where people are forced to walk in because tour buses cannot enter due to the bridge's size and its severely deteriorated condition,' he said. Ironically, he noted, these very places are frequently featured in state tourism campaigns. 'If Sabah can earn billions from timber and billions more from tourism in just three months, is it so difficult to provide a safe concrete bridge? Is it too much to fix access roads to these growing community destinations?' he asked. Azuwan stressed that the people are not asking for multi-million ringgit investments. 'They are only asking for safe and usable access routes for visitors. This is not about politics. It is about dignity and fairness for communities who are also contributing to the state's revenue,' he added. Azuwan added that if Sabah is to be promoted as a world-class destination, its infrastructure must reflect that level of commitment.
