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Gerik crash: Banknote bouquet was Muhammad Adib Hazim Halim's final birthday gift to his mum, says brother
GERIK, June 9 — A bouquet of flowers crafted from banknotes, lovingly arranged as a birthday gift for his mother, became the final present from Muhammad Adib Hazim Halim, 21, before he perished in the tragic crash along the East-West Highway (JRTB) at Banun, Gerik, early this morning.
According to his elder brother, Muhammad Aiman Hazman Halim, 32, the bouquet was a token of love for their mother, Rus Lina Abd Razak, 69, in conjunction with her birthday celebration held with the family on Sunday.
'Adib really enjoyed creating decorative crafts. Previously, he also made a bouquet for our sister when she completed her Suksis training,' he said when met at the Forensics Unit of Gerik Hospital.
Muhammad Aiman said Adib was a devoted son, a memoriser of the Quran (tahfiz), and dearly loved by all his siblings.
He said the family learned about the accident after seeing viral images of the crash circulating on social media.
'Before the incident, ummi (our mother) had taken a photo of the bus Adib boarded and shared it in our family WhatsApp group. So, when we saw the viral photos, we immediately knew Adib was involved in the accident.
'Ummi also cried quietly in her room before her birthday celebration without knowing why she felt overwhelmed with emotion — she never imagined this would be the reason,' he said.
The funeral prayer for Muhammad Adib Hazim, a Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) sutdent, will be held at the surau of Kampung Pasir Badak, Besut, Terengganu and he will be laid to rest at the nearby cemetery.
In the crash that around 1.10 am, 15 UPSI students were killed after the chartered bus they were travelling in from Jerteh, Terengganu to Tanjung Malim, Perak overturned in a collision with a Perodua Alza MPV on the JRTB near Tasik Banding, Perak.
The crash also left 33 others injured, including the bus driver and co-driver, as well as the driver and three passengers of the Alza. — Bernama
