JERTIH: The remains of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) student Nurul Fatihah Abu Setaman, who perished in the tragic crash along the East-West Highway in Gerik early Monday morning, were laid to rest this morning.
Nurul Fatihah, 22, the last of the 15 victims, was buried at 10.39 am at the Kampung Gong Duek Muslim cemetery.
Earlier, a second funeral prayer was held for the first-year Bachelor of Education (Malay Language) student at her family home in Kampung Gong Duek at 10 am, following the initial prayer alongside 12 of her fellow UPSI students at Masjid Hadhari at 2.55 am.
Nurul Fatihah, the fourth of six siblings and a former student of Sekolah Menengah Agama Ittifakiah, died at the scene of the accident.
Meanwhile, UPSI deputy vice-chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni) Prof Dr Norkhalid Salimin extended his gratitude to all parties involved in transporting the remains of the students, from the crash site to their respective hometowns, particularly the Royal Malaysia Police and Road Transport Department.
“We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to all public universities involved, including Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, which provided accommodation for 160 UPSI students who travelled to Terengganu to pay their last respects to their fellow coursemates.
“This reflects the strong spirit of unity and solidarity among public universities in times of crisis,” he said after attending the burial of Nurul Fatihah.
In a post on its official Facebook page, UPSI also conveyed its deepest appreciation and gratitude to all parties, both directly and indirectly involved, for ensuring the smooth handling of the entire process.
“Let us continue to pray that their souls are showered with mercy and placed among the righteous,” the post read.
The tragic crash occurred between 12.30 am and 1 am yesterday on the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, when a chartered bus carrying UPSI students from Jertih to Tanjung Malim overturned after colliding with a Perodua Alza.
Another 33 individuals were injured, including the bus driver and attendant, as well as the Alza driver and three passengers.
