The parents of one of the seven Orang Asli pupils who disappeared from their school hostel on Aug 23 are almost certain that the skeletal remains recovered yesterday morning were their daughter's.
Juvina's father, David Kuasam, 32, said his wife Shela Omar, 26, recognised their second of six children's beaded necklace and rubber bracelet that were found on the remains.
"My wife was called to the search and rescue (SAR) operations centre at SK Tohoi to identify the body and she told me it was very possible that it was our daughter based on the items.
"However, she couldn't recognise the clothes that had been found near the body because they had become discoloured," he said today when met at Gua Musang Hospital to take a DNA test.
The remains were located about 10 metres from where two of the missing pupils, Miksudiari Aluj, 11; and Norieen Yaakob, 10, were found alive on Friday.
The body of another girl which was found near the two survivors has been identified as that of Ika Ayel, nine.
On Wednesday, the SAR team found the decomposed body of a girl, identified to be that of eight-year-old Sasa Sobrie's.
The following day on Thursday, several ribs of a child was found about 500 metres from where Sasa's body was located.
Three of the pupils, Juvina, seven; Linda Rosli, eight; and Haikal Yaakob, eight, have not been accounted for.
David said the family would await the outcome of the DNA test.
"I am very satisfied with the SAR operation by various parties that led to recovery of six of the children to date," he said.
Meanwhile, Rosli Alik, 31, who is Linda's father, said his family would not make any assumption and just wait for the DNA results.
"We cannot say whether the remains belong to our daughter. We will only know when the DNA result is out," he said when met at the hospital.
The pupils comprising six girls and one boy had run away from their hostel at SK Tohoi fearing punishment by their teacher for bathing in the river without permission.
Bernama
Sun Oct 11 2015
Juvina's parents, David (right) and Shela (left) at the Gua Musang Hospital today to take a DNA test. - BERNAMApic
'No one will win a trade war,' China says after Trump tariff threat
Donald Trump says he would impose the tariffs until China stops the flow of illegal drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the United States.
What has caused Pakistan's deadly clashes between police and supporters of Imran Khan?
Topping the demands of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is the release of all its leaders, including Khan, who has been jailed on a series of corruption charges since August 2023.
One woman or girl killed every 10 minutes by intimate partner or family member - UN
The report highlights that "60 per cent of all female homicides" are committed by "people closely related to them".
Sweden urges Chinese ship to return for undersea cable investigation
Two subsea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania, were damaged in less than 24 hours.
[COLUMNIST] Building more highways won’t solve traffic congestion - reducing demand will
It is clear that adding more lanes and highways doesn't work, because we are still attempting the same approach to solve the issue.
Hyundai to invest RM2.16 bil in Malaysia through strategic partnership with INOKOM
This investment includes efforts to upgrade INOKOM's existing assembly capacity to meet Hyundai's automotive needs.
‘C4Cinta’ sets record as highest-grossing Malaysian Tamil film
'C4Cinta', directed by young filmmaker Karthik Shamalan, has set a new benchmark in Malaysian Tamil cinema.
Man charged with mother's murder, storing body in freezer
The court denied bail and scheduled case mention on Feb 7 for the submission of forensic, autopsy, and chemist reports.
Abolition of examination in schools to reduce pressure on pupils - Fadhlina
The classroom assessment approach offers a much more interesting learning ecosystem, says Fadhlina Sidek.
Google, Meta urge Australia to delay bill on social media ban for children
Google and Meta says the government should wait for the results of an age-verification trial before going ahead.
Judge tosses Trump 2020 election case after prosecutors' request
It represents a big legal victory for Donald Trump, who won the Nov. 5 US election and is set to return to office on Jan. 20.
DHL plane crash in Lithuania leaves authorities searching for answers
Rescue services said the plane hit the ground, split into pieces and slid over 100 metres (110 yards).
National squad to hold friendly matches for 2025 Indoor Hockey World Cup
The warm-up matches will involve matches against better ranked teams in the world, namely Austria (first) and Belgium (third).
G7 seeks unity on ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu
The United States, part of the G7, has rejected the ICC decision, with President Joe Biden describing it as outrageous.
Francissca Peter remembers Tan Sri Ahmad Nawab: A tribute to a musical legend
A legend who has influenced our music for decades, was one of the highlights of my career, says Francissca Peter.
TikTok decision coming soon as Jan. 19 divestment deadline looms
Judges are reviewing TikTok's challenge to a law requiring ByteDance to sell its US assets by Jan. 19 or face a ban.
Lebanese sources: Biden, Macron set to announce Israel-Hezbollah truce
In Washington, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said, "We're close" but "nothing is done until everything is done".
PM meets chaebol tycoon to attract more FDI to Malaysia
Chaebols are prominent figures from South Korea's family-owned conglomerates.
Govt won't allow non-citizen vehicles to enjoy RON95 subsidy - Economy Ministry
The implementation of the RON95 subsidy in 2025 is expected to provide savings of RM3.6 billion to government expenditure.
Ringgit opens lower as greenback gains ground
Dr Mohd Afzanizam says the market responded positively to news of hedge fund manager Scott Bessent heading the US Treasury Department.