Dream Shattered: UMK PhD Student Dies In Crash Before Taking Parents For Umrah

TANAH MERAH, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- A son’s dream of sending his parents for umrah pilgrimage was tragically cut short, when Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) Jeli Campus Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student, Muhammad Amidee Abdullah, 25, was killed in an accident, after the car he was travelling in skidded and plunged into a lake on the university grounds, yesterday.

The wish he often shared - to take his parents to perform umrah upon completing his studies - is now a heartbreaking memory for the family, especially his mother, Saida Sulaiman, 51.

Saida described her seventh child as a source of comfort, who frequently travelled between home and campus in his pursuit of knowledge.

“Muhammad Amidee told me of his wish to take me and my husband, Abdullah Mokhtar, 59, to perform umrah as soon as he completed his PhD studies.

“I am devastated that he never had the chance to fulfil that wish, as he left us far too soon. He was a good son and very close to the family,” she told reporters, at her home in Kampung Pondok Hidayah, today.

Saida said she woke Muhammad Amidee every morning for his classes, as he commuted daily from home to the Jeli campus.

She said he was pursuing his studies in mineralogy at the Faculty of Bioengineering and Technology, and was expected to complete his PhD in 2026.

“I was shocked when I received a call from UMK informing me that my son had been involved in an accident and had died.

“The last time I saw him was at about 10 am yesterday, before he left for UMK. As usual, he greeted me and kissed my hand, and there was nothing unusual about his behaviour,” she said.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Amidee’s father, Abdullah, said that he received a call from the university at about 6.50 pm yesterday, informing him that his son had been involved in an accident.

“I rushed to Jeli Hospital to find out my son's condition,” he said.

Abdullah said the last time he saw his son was also around 10 am, when he had just returned home after buying kitchen supplies, while the deceased was getting ready to leave for campus.

He added that on days without classes, Muhammad Amidee usually chose to stay home, spending his time caring for his pet fish in his room.

“Before leaving for campus, he (the deceased) had also planned to buy household necessities for the family, using his MyKad, under the one-off SARA assistance,” he said.

Muhammad Amidee was laid to rest at the Kampung Chawas Cemetery at 11.30 am today, with about 100 people, including family members, friends and UMK staff, gathering to pay their last respects.

Yesterday, Bernama reported that Muhammad Amidee, a UMK PhD student, died at the scene, while his friend was injured, after the Perodua Axia they were travelling in skidded and plunged into a lake on the university campus.

-- BERNAMA