Latest news with #Haikal
New Straits Times
18 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Getting tips from seniors to slay samurai shuttlers
KUALA LUMPUR: Their seniors have just done it, beat Japan's former world champions Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi. And now, world No. 41 Haikal Nazri-Choong Hon Jian hope to get a tip or two from Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik on how to overcome Hoki-Kobayashi in their Indonesia Open opener tomorrow. Haikal-Hon Jian lost to the samurais in the Malaysia Masters last 16 two weeks ago, and to get their revenge, they must do something, particularly in the all-important "first three shots" of each rally. Teammates Aaron-Wooi Yik might just be the perfect source of insight, having recently snapped an eight-match losing streak against Hoki-Kobayashi en route to clinching the Singapore Open title. Previously, Aaron-Wooi Yik had a dismal head-to-head record of just two victories in 11 encounters with Hoki-Kobayashi. Haikal revealed he had approached Aaron during a training session in Singapore last week, but they didn't get to go into detail. "I spoke to Aaron, but we didn't have time to discuss in depth. I'll definitely try to approach him again at the Indonesia Open," he said. Haikal said national coach Herry IP had pointed out the similarities between their playing style and Hoki-Kobayashi's. "Both pairs play with an attacking approach, we don't lift the shuttle much," said Haikal. "However, Hoki-Kobayashi are very sharp in executing the first three shots. That put us under pressure and forced us into defensive lifts. "We lacked speed and quality in those early exchanges, and that made us uncomfortable throughout the match." Haikal believes he and Hon Jian still need time to find their rhythm, having only recently returned from a long injury layoff. The Indonesia Open will be their fifth tournament since resuming action at the Taiwan Open. So far, they have managed just one win — against Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Kittinupong Kedren at the Malaysia Masters, and exiting in the first round of the others. "It's been a struggle to catch up since our comeback. We'll bide our time and gradually make progress," said Haikal. Haikal-Hon Jian, winners of two Super 300 titles, were once ranked as high as world No. 18, but their momentum was disrupted by injuries, first to Hon Jian late last year, followed by Haikal, which saw them only return to action in May. Meanwhile, world No. 33 Wong Tien Ci-Lim Chiew Sien's campaign in the Indonesia Open mixed doubles ended in the first round following a 21-11, 21-16 defeat to Indonesia's Jafar Hidayatullah-Felisha Pasaribu.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Malaysian diver's body repatriated after fatal Aceh trip
JAKARTA: A Malaysian diver has died during a trip off Indonesia's Aceh province, with his body repatriated to Kuala Lumpur, officials confirmed on Sunday. Malaysia's Consul General in Medan, Shahril Nizam Abdul Malek, said that the remains of Haikal Rafie Halim, 33, from Selangor, were flown home on Sunday evening. "The flight departed Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport in Aceh at 4.55pm local time for Kuala Lumpur International Airport," he told Bernama. Haikal was part of a group of three Malaysian divers, accompanied by a local dive guide, when they encountered strong undercurrents near the Canyon dive site off Pulau Weh, near Sabang, on Saturday. "Haikal is believed to have panicked and was instructed to surface. Upon reaching the surface, he was found unconscious and reportedly foaming at the mouth," Sabang police chief Sukoco said. He was transported by speedboat to Iboih Beach and rushed to the health centre, where he was pronounced dead at 10.50am, before being sent to Sabang Hospital for a post-mortem, he added. The incident occurred near the Zero Kilometre Monument, a popular dive site frequented by domestic and international tourists.– BERNAMA
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Malaysian diver dies off Aceh, body repatriated; remains flown to KL on Sunday (June 1) evening
JAKARTA (Bernama): The body of a Malaysian man who died during a diving trip off Indonesia's Aceh province has been repatriated, officials said Sunday. Malaysia's Consul General in Medan, Shahril Nizam Abdul Malek, confirmed that the remains of Haikal Rafie Halim, 33, from Selangor, were flown to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday evening. "The flight departed Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport in Aceh at 4.55 pm local time for Kuala Lumpur International Airport,' he told Bernama. Haikal was part of a group of three Malaysian divers accompanied by a local dive guide when they encountered strong undercurrents near the Canyon dive site off Pulau Weh, near Sabang on Saturday. "Haikal is believed to have panicked and was instructed to surface. Upon reaching the surface, he was found unconscious and reportedly foaming at the mouth,' Sabang police chief Sukoco stated in a statement. He was taken by speedboat to Iboih Beach and rushed to the health centre, where he was pronounced dead at 10.50 am, before being sent to Sabang Hospital for a post-mortem, he added. The incident occurred near the Zero Kilometer Monument, a popular dive site frequented by domestic and international tourists. - Bernama
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- New Straits Times
'He loved diving': Father mourns son's death in Aceh accident
KUALA LUMPUR: The father of Haikal Rafie Halim, who died in a diving accident off the coast of Iboih in Kota Sabang, Aceh, Indonesia, yesterday, said his son had always been passionate about the activity and never imagined it would one day cost him his life. Haikal's father, Halim Abu Hassan, said his son loved diving and had explored many locations with his friends and wife. "However, we never expected that this time it would end in tragedy," he said when contacted. Halim said his 33-year-old son had travelled to Aceh last Thursday with his wife and a group of 10 friends, and had sent a photo from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport before departing. "They also called my wife, and we had the chance to exchange well wishes before they arrived. "Once they reached Aceh, my daughter-in-law sent us photos and made a video call from the chalet. But my son was mostly quiet during the call, and it was my daughter-in-law who chatted with us at length." He added that his son had often gone diving at locations including Pulau Tioman, Pulau Redang, Pulau Perhentian, and several other places. "I only found out about the incident at around 1.30pm yesterday after one of his friends called to inform us. "As for what exactly happened, I'm still unsure. My daughter-in-law is still too shaken to speak about it," he said. Halim said his son's remains will be brought home this evening and will be laid to rest at the Kampung Melayu Rasa Cemetery in Rasa, Hulu Selangor. Haikal was reported to have died while diving off Iboih at around 9.30am local time, accompanied by two Malaysian friends and a diving instructor. Indonesia's Berita Rakyat Aceh news portal reported that police responded promptly to the scene after receiving the report. The report said that after 20 minutes of diving at a depth of 30 metres, the group was swept away by an underwater current. Haikal reportedly attempted to ascend following the instructor's orders but lost consciousness upon reaching the surface. Rescue efforts were immediately carried out, and the victim was rushed by speedboat to Iboih Beach. His friends and the instructor administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before taking him by car to a nearby clinic. Upon arriving at the clinic at around 10.30am local time, medical personnel provided immediate treatment, but Haikal was pronounced dead.
New Paper
7 days ago
- Business
- New Paper
Secondary school dropout, 36, graduates top of his cohort at Republic Polytechnic
When Mr Muhammad Haikal Nekla dropped out of secondary school at 16 due to family issues and began working full-time to help support them, he intended to go back to complete his education some day. He made good on the promise only many years later. "When I made the decision to drop out, I told my principal that I would continue my education one day, but I never got around to it," he said. A discussion with some Republic Polytechnic (RP) interns he was supervising at the restaurant chain where he worked spurred him to return to school at the age of 33, in 2021. "They shared that (polytechnics) took a more hands-on approach to learning, where theories are applied to real-life problems. That was what interested me the most," said Mr Haikal, who was then an assistant manager at Fish & Co. After more than 15 years of working as waiter, barista and manager in the food and beverage (F&B) industry, Mr Haikal enrolled in RP's diploma of restaurant and culinary operations programme in 2022 via the Early Admissions Exercise, which is open to working adults. In May, the 36-year-old became the valedictorian of RP's School of Hospitality with a grade point average of 3.79. He was among more than 4,500 graduates from 79 diploma programmes across the polytechnic. Mr Haikal was worried at first about fitting in with the other students, as he was more than twice the age of some of them. But he soon earned their respect, and his schoolmates affectionately called him "Uncle Haikal". He also had to make some sacrifices to go back to school. Mr Haikal, who is not married, had to dip into his savings during his time to polytechnic to care for his mother and grandmother. Fortunately, he received financial support to pay his school fees via a bursary in his first-year and the bond-free Sands Hospitality Scholarship for his second and third years. Still, he continued to work, clocking in 16 hours weekly as a part-time supervisor at Fish & Co to support his family. He said: "My mum was briefly hospitalised in 2022 and my grandmother had kidney failure in 2023, so I had a lot on my plate." Having to care for his family while working and studying meant that he would sometimes sleep for only four hours a day. "Some days, I would come home from work or school to complete my assignments. Then at midnight, I would take a taxi to my grandmother's place to take care of her." Mr Muhammad Haikal and his mother during his Republic Polytechnic graduation ceremony. PHOTO: COURTESY OF MUHAMMAD HAIKAL When asked what got him through that period of time, he gave props to his family and friends: "I'm not too sure how I got through it either, but it helped that I had support from the people around me." Mr Haikal said that one of the reasons he succeeded academically in RP was his industry experience. "The curriculum was designed so that my experience gave me a strong foundation," he said. He also learnt from his younger schoolmates. "Even though they are much younger than I am, they can still do some things better than I can, and I've been able to absorb and learn from," he added. His biggest takeaway from his time at RP is this: "It doesn't matter how old you are - it's important to be open-minded. Whether you're young or old, there's always something to learn and take away from others." Mr Muhammad Haikal (second row, middle) and his friends during his Republic Polytechnic graduation ceremony. PHOTO: REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC With his diploma has come a chance for him to make a career pivot - Mr Haikal has been accepted into the National University of Singapore's College of Humanities and Sciences, where he plans to study for a bachelor's degree in social work. "I don't think that F&B and social work are that different. You're able to interact with and learn the stories of people from all walks of life," he said. "The main difference is that I'm able to walk with them through their journeys as a social worker."
