Family lost three children in tahfiz tragedy

The three siblings, Muhamad Haris Ikhwan Mohd Sulaiman, 10, Hafiz Iskandar, 11,and Syafiq Haikal, 13, were among 23 victims who perished in the fire in Jalan Keramat Ujung here Thursday morning.

A cousin of the victims, Mas Aliza Ali Bapoo, 22, said her mother Mas Anizan Mohammad Shahid, 43, received a call from Hafiz Iskandar to say 'he wanted to go'.

"In the call, he said he wanted to go and when mother asked further, he said he wanted to come home for holidays and asked us to take the three of them home," she said when met by reporters.

Mas Aliza and her mother Mas Anizan, who was a popular actress in the 90's, were at the compound of Kuala Lumpur Hospital forensic department to claim the bodies of the three brothers.

Mas Aliza said her mother took care of the three children after their father died in 2005.

"We planned to take the three of them on Saturday but did not expect all of them would perish today, we are too shocked. I feel the pain most, as I am the one handling their transport to and from the tahfiz school since they began studying there in January," said Mas Aliza.

The 5.15am fire tragedy took the lives of 21 students aged between 11 and 17 as well as two teachers who were also school wardens.