Son Of Prominent Lawyer Killed In Karak Highway Crash Was Set To Marry Next Year

SHAH ALAM, May 22 (Bernama) -- The father of one of the three victims who died in a crash involving a cement lorry at Kilometre 34 of the Karak Highway heading towards Kuala Lumpur earlier today shared that his son had intended to get married next year.

Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader, 62, a prominent lawyer, said his son Adli Hakim Akberdin, 24, a student at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), had planned to marry his close friend Athirah Najwa Mohd Tajul Ashikin, 27, who was also seriously injured in the incident.

“The girl who was badly injured (Athirah Najwa) was supposed to be my son’s future wife, and we had already planned for them to get married next year,” he said when met at the Section 21 Muslim Cemetery here today.

In the 2.15 am incident, the Volkswagen Golf car carrying Adli Hakim and three others was believed to have skidded before being involved in a crash.

Ameer Ashraf Khairul Annuar, 24, and Afiq Jamal Abdul Nasir, 26, also perished, while Athirah Najwa was admitted to the Selayang Hospital.

Akberdin said he only learned about the incident after his eldest son received a call from a friend of the victims who was travelling in another vehicle following them on the way back from Genting Highlands.

“I rushed to the scene with my eldest son, and when we arrived, fire and rescue personnel as well as paramedics were already carrying out rescue operations to extricate the victims trapped in the vehicle,” he said.

He said paramedics later confirmed that the three men had died at the scene, while Athirah Najwa, who was still breathing, was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

Akberdin added that the family was continuing to pray for the woman’s recovery, noting that she had reportedly regained consciousness from a coma and had begun asking about the incident.

Meanwhile, Akberdin said Adli Hakin, his fifth child, was a good-natured, obedient son who was well-liked by family members.

He said the last time they spent time together was on Sunday during a family holiday in Genting Highlands.

The remains of Adli Hakim were sent for post-mortem at 3 pm and later taken to the Section 7 Mosque here for funeral rites, where hundreds of worshippers attended the prayers before he was laid to rest at 6.05 pm, with more than 200 family members and close friends in attendance, including Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.

-- BERNAMA