Brother in-law heard about Zulkifly's death much earlier

Muhammad Shuhaimi Abd Hamid,48, said he heard about the death of his brother-in-law, Zulkifly Samad in Makkah much earlier.

Zulkifly, 50, was one of more than 700 haj pilgrims killed in a stampede after the stoning of the devil ritual in Mina, just outside Makkah, on Sept 24.

Muhammad Suhaimi said his grandmother who lives in Makkah was informed of Zulkifly's death by a neighbour who worked as an ambulance driver.

The neighbour told her he had ferried the body of a Malaysian pilgrim named Zul to the Muassiem mortuary in Mina soon after the incident.This was based on the name on the bracelet provided by Tabung Haji (TH).

"On the same day, my sister Suriahanim, 40, (Zulkifly's wife) told me her husband had gone missing," he told reporters at his Lorong Keramat home on Monday.

The matter was kept secret from Zulkifly's children because TH had not issued a statement on the matter.

TH only confirmed Zulkifly's death at 7.30 am on Monday after his wife identified the body.

Muhammad Suhaimi said before leaving for Makkah on Aug 21, Zulkifly and Suriahanim asked him to take care of their youngest son Hasan Zakiy, 2.

Zulkifly, an engineer with a company in Cyberjaya, also asked his wife to take a photograph of him dressed in the Ihram (haj attire) one day before the incident.