PENDANG: The remains of senior non-commissioned officer Sergeant Faridah Abd Rahman from Malaysian Battalion 850-11 (MALBATT 850-11) are expected to be brought home this Wednesday for burial in her village in Mukim Tobiar, near here.
The deceased’s husband, Noor Azmi Ariffin, received this information from a military representative who visited their home today.
“The body is expected to arrive here on Wednesday, as per the latest update. As far as we know, the body will be taken to the Tualang Mosque for burial,“ he told reporters when met at his home in Kampung Sungai Mati, Tobiar, near here today.
Noor Azmi said during her month-long leave in the viilage, his wife spent more time with their four children than usual.
He observed that she would buy toys for the children whenever she went to the store, a noticeable change before her departure for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mission last Friday.
“This holiday she showered the children with gifts, and every toy she bought, she got extras for our relatives’ children too.
“She was really keen on spending time with them, doing everything, even sending and picking them up from school, something she never did before,“ said Noor Azmi, still shocked by his wife’s sudden demise despite her good health and lack of prior illness.
Noor Azmi urged the public to pray for the smooth repatriation of his wife’s remains.
Faridah leaves behind four children – Nurul Syifa, 13, Muhammad Afnan, 10, Nurul Jannah, seven (who has Down syndrome) and Ainul Mardiah, four.
Yesterday, the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) Headquarters announced in a statement that Sergeant Faridah died in Lebanon at 2.25 am local time or 7.25 am Malaysian time.
According to the statement, the 36-year-old sergeant, who served as the MALBATT 850-11 Islamic Affairs senior supervisor at Camp Marakah, collapsed after disembarking from a bus at the camp and was pronounced dead by medical officers.
Sergeant Faridah had recently returned to Lebanon after spending one-month leave in Malaysia.
