Daughter longs for father’s return after boat tragedy
NUR Aliya Harun, 19, is praying for her father’s return ever since he went missing along with two other anglers when their boat capsized near here on Monday.
Although fatigued, Nur Aliya continues to wait every day for news of her father, Harun Daud, 60, at the search and rescue (SAR) base in the Kemasin fishermen jetty here.
“My only prayer is for him to return home. Whether he is alive or not, I will accept it,” she said.
She only leaves the SAR base to perform her daily prayers at her relative’s house in Kampung Kedai Lalat, Kota Baru.
“It broke my heart when I saw the families of the drowned victims. But I will be strong because what matters is for my father to be found. Since the incident, I feel like I am in a daze. I never thought he would be among those missing.”
The Form Six student at SMK Sultan Ibrahim Satu in Pasir Mas, as well as her siblings were seen comforting their distraught mother, Rusniwati Abdullah, 50.
“My mother has not been eating since the incident. But as a family, we have to accept it as a test of faith.
“The last time I saw my father was when he sent me to school on Monday. He smiled when we said our goodbyes. I knew he was going out to sea for squid jigging.”
On Monday, five people died and three remain missing when a boat carrying 20 people capsized during a storm about 10 nautical miles off Kuala Kemasin.
The deceased are Mohd Syahrizan Daud, in his 40s, Muhamad Zaki Muhamad Nordin, 19, Wan Aminudin Wan Hussin, in his 60s, a Thai national known only as Pokta, in his 50s and Ahmad Syafiq Che Alim, 30. Besides Harun, the missing anglers are Arman Ismail, 43, and Che Wadi Bakar, in his 40s. Another 12 people were found safe.
State Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency director Muhd Nur Syam Asmawie Yaacob said the SAR operation was resumed at 6am yesterday and it had expanded to an area covering 324 nautical miles compared with the 162 nautical miles on Tuesday.