Orang Asli parents believe skeletal remains belong to daughter, Juvina

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.