NILAI: Abd Razak Isa, 57 and his wife Najah Aspalela Alias, 52 could not contain their tears when they were called on stage to receive their deceased daughter's diploma scroll at the19th University College of Agroscience Malaysia (UCAM) convocation.

Hanis Nuraishah Nasuha, 22, who finished her studies in agroscience in May last year, was killed on July 14 in an accident on her way home from work in her hometown of Kampung Tedung, Lanchang, Temerloh, Pahang.

According to Najah Aspalela, a week ago she was reluctant to attend today's ceremony as she was worried that she could not control her emotions on stage, however, yesterday she decided to receive the scroll on behalf of her daughter whom she called 'Kak De'.

She said her husband and children encouraged her to attend the ceremony as a way to celebrate Kak De's success for the last time.

"Encouraged by my husband and other children, I willed myself to come today to appreciate her hard work and efforts in finishing her studies," she told reporters after receiving the scroll from Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid here today.

Abd Razak said among his seven children, Hanis Nuraishah Nasuha, who is his third child, was the closest to him, adding that she also wanted to follow in his footsteps to be involved in agriculture and aspired to be a successful entrepreneur.

"While she was undergoing internship at the Lanchang Area Farmers' Organisation, she started to rear cattle and when she was working with an agricultural company, the employer suggested they enter into a partnership," he said, adding that he decided to attend the convocation and receive the scroll to encourage his younger children to study hard.

Abd Razak said his daughter was committed and dedicated to her job and was a good student who had frequently received the dean's award throughout her three years in UCAM in Alor Gajah, Melaka.

"It's been eight months since she was gone and I will visit her grave every week. Just now on the stage, the minister gave us words of encouragement, I feel a little better," he said.

A total of 845 graduates from the Melaka, Perak, Kelantan and Pahang campuses were scheduled to receive their scrolls in the two-day ceremony which started today.

-- BERNAMA