MERSING: The father of Mohamad Syafik Yakob, who died after being trampled by an elephant in Felda Tenggaroh 5 today, said that his son was chased and tossed during the wild animal’s attack this morning.
Yakob Md Yusof, 65, said he was informed about the tragic incident involving his 31-year-old youngest son at around 11 am while he was at home.
“Residents here told me that my son was trampled by an elephant, and I rushed to the scene. When I arrived, he was unconscious but briefly opened his eyes before closing them again,” he said at his home in Felda Tenggaroh Timur 1.
Yakob added that his son, along with two friends, had tried to shoo the elephant away from approaching SK Tenggaroh 5 when the attack occurred. Zalini Dahlan, 51, sustained serious injuries, while the other friend managed to escape.
“These wild elephants have been present here since my wife and I first moved to this Felda settlement. However, the animals have never disturbed the residents, even when passing by their homes,“ he said, adding that Mohamad Syafik’s remains would be buried at Felda Tenggaroh Timur 1 Muslim Cemetery after the post-mortem.
Meanwhile, Felda Tenggaroh Timur 1 village chief Alias Atan said that while elephants frequently entered the village, they usually did not harm residents and were often seen playing in the area.
However, he said this incident, which occurred near a school, had raised concerns among teachers and parents.
Alias hoped relevant authorities would take immediate action to prevent similar incidents in the future. Earlier media reports indicated that a contract cleaner died while another was seriously injured after being trampled by the elephant near SK Tenggaroh 5.
Mersing District Police deputy chief DSP Sharif Shai Sharif Mondoi reportedly said that the attack was understood to involve a young elephant believed to be separated from its group.
