NSE fatal crash: Student's unfulfilled wish to follow mother's footsteps

Muhammad Nabil Haikal Muhammad Fariz, 19, from Batu Caves, Selangor, was pursuing his Diploma in Business Administration at the Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah (USAS).

His grief-stricken mother, Siti Norazah Bahari, 42, said Muhammad Nabil Haikal, the eldest of three, showed a deep interest in business and aspired to be a successful businessman.

"Muhammad Nabil Haikal majored in business because he was interested in business just like me. Our family accepted what happened," she said when met by reporters at the Kuala Kangsar Hospital Forensic Unit here today.

Siti Norazah said the last time she was in contact with her son was yesterday afternoon.

"He did ask about our cat but my texts on the WhatsApp application went unanswered until evening.

"Muhammad Nabil Haikal also did not inform us about going somewhere and we found out about the incident when his friend called us to inform us that my son was involved in an accident," she said in tears.

She added that she had just sent Muhammad Nabil Haikal to return to USAS by boarding the Electric Train Service (ETS) on Monday, to attend face-to-face learning sessions for the first time as he had only followed online classes before.

Siti Norazah said that she was at a loss with the passing of her beloved son, and the family was still in shock as Muhammad Nabil Haikal was very close to his siblings.

The remains of Muhammad Nabil Haikal will be brought back to Nilai, Negeri Sembilan for burial after the post-mortem was completed at the Kuala Kangsar Hospital.

In the 12.52 am incident today, Muhammad Nabil Haikal, who was sitting in a rear passenger seat, was one of five students who were burnt to death when the Honda City car they were travelling in caught fire after a collision with two trailers, at KM245.2 of the North-South Expressway northbound, near Kuala Kangsar.

His four friends were Muhammad Nasrun Aidol Munir Akbar, 22, who was driving the car, front passenger Ahmad Naim Najmi Ahmad Hafizan, 21, while two others, Ahmad Akmal Ahmad Mokhlis, 20, and Iqbal Hasnun Halimi, 23, were seated in the back.

Meanwhile, Halimi Ali Yahad, 50, the father of Iqbal Hasnun, said he sent his son back to campus to continue his Bachelor of Islamic Studies on Sunday, after celebrating Aidilfitri in Johor.

"He was his usual self when he was home for a holiday. Even though I am very sad but Allah loves him more, for him to die at a young age. We accept this as fate," said.

Commenting on Iqbal Hasnun's character, he said that his son was a caring person and always advised his siblings to look after their health.

"This is because Iqbal Hasnun has been suffering from pneumonia since he was a child," he said.