JERTIH: For Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) student Nur Ain Najwa Mohd Ilias, even the distant rumble of a bus engine from the road just 100 metres away is enough to trigger tightness in her chest.
The 23-year-old, who was among the victims injured in the crash along East-West Highway (JRTB) near Gerik, Perak on June 9, said she still cannot bring herself to look at any videos or images of a bus – even on her phone.
“I can’t even bear to watch the video of the accident that went viral on social media. Just thinking about it makes my chest tighten,” she said, her voice heavy with emotion.
“So I do my best to avoid anything that reminds me of the bus or the accident. The counsellor helping me said that if I see or hear something that triggers fear, I should quickly redirect my thoughts, turn to prayer, and keep myself busy with things I love.
The second-year student at the Faculty of Languages and Communications spoke to reporters at her home in Kampung Gong Kemuntong today, following a visit from Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.
Nur Ain Najwa said that she still struggles with fear when left alone, needing the constant presence of her family, especially her mother, Nani Hamid, 49, even during the day. The haunting memory of the tragic accident continues to weigh heavily on her.
What lingers most vividly in her mind is the night of June 8, just before the bus departed from the Hadhari Mosque. She can still see the faces of those who later lost their lives, smiling brightly, laughing, and exchanging cheerful banter, moments that now feel heartbreakingly surreal.
“Most of those who died were my juniors. I still remember how cheerful they were, laughing and joking with one another before the bus left.
“I suffered a broken left shoulder and a sprained right wrist – already excruciating – so I can’t stop thinking about the pain my late juniors must have gone through in those final moments. It truly breaks my heart… we set off so happily, but we didn’t return together.
In the early hours of June 9, 15 UPSI students lost their lives when a chartered bus travelling from Jertih to the university’s main campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak, overturned at KM53 of the JRTB, near Tasik Banding, in Gerik, Perak.
The devastating accident also left 33 others injured.
The second of six siblings, Nur Ain Najwa previously went viral after sharing her family’s struggles with Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki when he visited her at Gerik Hospital, Perak.
In a video uploaded by Asyraf Wajdi on his TikTok account, Nur Ain Najwa tearfully recounted how her twin brothers, Hassan and Hussin, both 22, had to turn down offers to pursue university studies so she could have the chance to study first.
She shared that since the passing of her father, Mohd Ilias Mat Hussin, to cancer in 2016, the family has relied solely on her mother’s meagre income from selling ‘kuih’ to make ends meet.
However, Nur Ain Najwa said the tragedy has also brought unexpected blessings, as many have stepped forward to offer support and show genuine concern for her family’s wellbeing.
