Imam dies in crash moments after rehearsing berzanji with son
The 6.47pm crash killed both Mohd Fitri Md Said, 39 and his nine-year-old daughter Nurin Insyirah, near Kampung Kwongsai, here.
His wife, Nurain Farhana Johari, 32, and their other children - Muhammad Zikri, 11, Nur Atiya, 2, and Nur Husna, 4, sustained injuries but have since been discharged from hospital.
The incident unfolded as the family were heading to Segamat from Felda Redong to buy a toy for the youngest child.
Their vehicle skidded, overturned three times and landed in a swampy ravine.
Mohd Fitri, the imam at Masjid Nurul Falah in Felda Redong was coaching Muhammad Zikri for an upcoming berzanji recitation competition.
Berzanji is a poetic narration of Prophet Muhammad's life, recited in praise and prayer.
Muhammad Zikri said he crawled out of the wreckage through a broken window and waved at passing vehicles to seek help.
"I saw my father's right leg twitching and my sister Nurin Insyirah's hand and leg moving, but they were unconscious," said the Year 5 pupil, visibly shaken.
A teacher who was driving pass the crash site, spotted the boy and placed an emergency call.
Mohd Fitri's sister, Rozy, 47, recalled remarks he had made in the days leading up to the accident.
"He kept saying he wanted to resign from all his roles — as an imam, Parents, Teachers Association president, and even as the person in charge of slaughtering livestock during Qurban," she said.
"He even handed over his slaughter knife to Zikri with his name engraved on it."
Rozy said the family now believes those words were a premonition.
"He sounded like someone who knew his time was near," she said.
Mohd Fitri and Nurin Insyirah will be laid to rest at the Felda Redong Muslim cemetery later today.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysiakini
4 days ago
- Malaysiakini
Indian MPs unite, slam AGC's decision on Muslim preachers
Four Indian MPs from MIC, DAP, and PKR have strongly criticised the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) over its decision not to prosecute Muslim preachers Zamri Vinoth and Firdaus Wong. In a rare show of unity, MIC deputy president and Tapah MP M Saravanan, Klang MP V Ganabatirau (DAP), along with PKR MPs P Prabakaran (Batu) and S Kesavan (Sungai Siput), held a joint press conference in Parliament to express their dissatisfaction. The MPs rejected the AGC's explanation of...
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Malay Mail
Digital paedophilia is still child abuse, even if the child is virtual — Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid
JULY 24 — Digital paedophilia refers to the sexual exploitation of children in virtual spaces, through tools like artificial intelligence, deepfakes, cartoons, and virtual reality. These images may be digitally generated, and the children portrayed may not even exist in real life. Yet, the intent is deeply exploitative, the gratification it feeds is criminal, and the harm it causes individually and socially is undeniable. While this form of abuse doesn't always involve contact with a child, it normalises the sexualisation of minors, perpetuates a dangerous fantasy, and fuels demand in underground networks. As a criminologist, I've seen how what initially began as 'just digital content' has the potential to desensitise consumers and eventually lead to real-world offending. It systematically erodes the legal, ethical, and societal safeguards established to protect the rights and dignity of children. This threat is amplified by the pervasive culture of online sharing. Many individuals, including parents, are drawn to posting their daily lives on social media, treating platforms like Facebook and TikTok as digital diaries. While these platforms foster connection and self-expression, they also expose users — particularly children — to serious risks. It is disturbingly easy to download images from Facebook and extract videos from TikTok, even without the content owner's knowledge or consent. Once uploaded, these digital footprints can be stolen, altered, and weaponised for exploitation. Digital paedophilia can take many forms, for instance: AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that mimics realistic children in sexual scenarios; deepfakes that superimpose children's faces — often taken from social media — onto adult bodies in explicit content; illustrated pornography (such as hentai or lolicon) that sexualises underage characters; and virtual reality simulations that allow users to act out child abuse fantasies in immersive settings. What makes this even more dangerous is that it's easy to access, easy to share, and hard to trace. The perpetrators hide behind screens, usernames, and encrypted platforms. And yet, the damage is far from virtual. Digital paedophilia can take many forms, for instance: AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that mimics realistic children in sexual scenarios; deepfakes that superimpose children's faces — often taken from social media — onto adult bodies in explicit content; illustrated pornography (such as hentai or lolicon) that sexualises underage characters; and virtual reality simulations that allow users to act out child abuse fantasies in immersive settings. ― iStock pic Malaysia has made commendable strides with the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, the Penal Code, and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 — all of which provide mechanisms to combat traditional forms of child sexual abuse, including live-streamed exploitation. However, these laws still fall short when it comes to digital creations. Many of these materials are not technically illegal under current definitions of CSAM, because no real child was involved in their creation. But does that make them any less harmful? I would argue not. These depictions, no matter how 'virtual', are created with the intent of sexualising minors and should be recognised as forms of child sexual exploitation. Other countries have taken this step. The UK, Canada, and Australia have criminalised virtual child pornography, recognising that a legal definition limited only to real, identifiable victims is inadequate in the face of emerging technology. Therefore, Malaysia must consider doing the same. The harms of digital paedophilia are not hypothetical. Every day, images of real children — often taken innocently by their parents and shared online — are stolen, manipulated, and repurposed into sexual content. This is a profound violation of dignity, privacy, and safety. These children may never know what was done to their image, but the psychological and reputational damage can be lifelong. Unlike Denmark, which recognises an individual's legal right to their own image and personal likeness through robust copyright and data protection laws, Malaysia currently lacks explicit legal provisions that grant individuals — particularly children — ownership and control over the use of their personal images. This legal vacuum leaves Malaysian children especially vulnerable to digital exploitation, with limited recourse or protection under current frameworks. Moreover, digital abuse fuels cognitive distortions in those with paedophilic tendencies. Studies show that repeated exposure to virtual CSAM lowers inhibition, increases desensitisation, and can serve as a gateway to contact offences. As a society, we cannot afford to wait until a physical child is harmed to institute any action. The damage begins long before that. Therefore, an effective and urgent response is required. This includes amending existing laws to explicitly cover digitally created and AI-generated child sexual abuse material. We must criminalise intent and impact, not just physical involvement. Social media platforms, app developers, and AI companies must also be held accountable for detecting, reporting, and removing exploitative content — technological innovation must not come at the expense of child safety. Digital literacy should no longer be seen as optional. Parents, children, and educators must be equipped with the knowledge to understand the risks of oversharing online and how personal images can be misused. Every policy, investigation, and reform effort must place the child at the centre — not merely as a legal category, but as a human being deserving of dignity, protection, and justice. In addition, Malaysia must strengthen its cooperation with global agencies such as Interpol, Aseanapol, and other cross-border cybercrime task forces to effectively track offenders and dismantle transnational networks. Digital paedophilia sits at the intersection of technological progress and moral regression. As artificial intelligence and virtual reality continue to advance, so too does the capacity to simulate harm, commodify children, and conceal abuse behind layers of code. But just because the abuse is virtual does not mean it is any less real. The law must evolve to meet this challenge because every child, whether real or digitally represented, deserves to be safe from sexual exploitation. * Dr Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid is a Criminologist and Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya. She can be reached at [email protected]y * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Focus Malaysia
4 days ago
- Focus Malaysia
Human rights NGO joins MIC to slam authorities' reluctance to act against Zamri Vinoth, Firdaus Wong
FACT: There were 900 or more police reports lodged against controversial Muslim convert preachers Zamri Vinoth and Firdaus Wong over provocative and inflammatory remarks. Fact: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has declared that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute these individuals. The fall-out? A widespread perception that there is selective prosecution pertaining to 3R (race, religion and royalty) matters. That is the contention by Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF) and the MIC. In a recent statement to the Dewan Rakyat arliament, Azalina revealed that the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) would not file charges due to 'insufficient evidence' – a decision that has reignited widespread public disquiet over how Malaysia handles religiously sensitive cases, especially when minority communities are the target. Just how did the learned minister come to this conclusion when both individuals have made remarks that were widely seen and shared on social media, not least Zamri's offensive statement equating kavadi bearers to drunkards? Such statements caused great outrage not just among the Hindu community but also among other minority Malaysians. That such remarks go unpunished reinforces the view that certain individuals have carte blanche to do as they wish. Glaring double standards The laws of the land, racial harmony and 3R sensitivities be damned. 'When justice appears selective, it ceases to be justice,' argued GHRF president S. Shashi Kumar. 'A judiciary that applies the law unevenly undermines its own legitimacy. The law must protect every Malaysian equally without fear or favour, regardless of race or religion.' Echoing MIC, the GHRF claimed that this issue went beyond the two individuals. 'The broader issue is not just about two individuals but the perception that the law is being selectively enforced,' fumed the human rights activist. 'In cases involving perceived insults to Islam or the monarchy, authorities are often swift to investigate, detain and prosecute, sometimes within hours. Yet when minorities are targeted, investigations are prolonged, explanations vague and charges rare.' Such blatant selective prosecution will only embolden the right-wing faction that seek to sow the seeds of discord. It means that individuals such as Zamri and Firdaus are free to continue thumbing their noses at minority groups knowing that they are protected under the flimsy guise of 'insufficient evidence'. For minority Malaysians, the message this sends out is disheartening and quite simply offensive in itself. The laws of the land can be treated with impunity and the sentiments of minority groups are of little or no consequence. Such inaction underlines that a Malaysian Malaysia remain just a pipedream. Earlier, MIC president Tan Sri V.A. Vigneswaran shared a similar sentiment when he argued that the 3R principle is not a legal tool to defend the sanctity of only one religion. On the contrary, it exists 'to preserve religious harmony, public order and social cohesion across all communities in our diverse, multi-religious nation.' It was also pointed out that this was NOT the case in neighbouring Indonesia despite the country being the world's most populous Muslim nation which has barred global celebrity Indian preacher Zakir Naik from public-speaking. Contrast this with Malaysia where not only is this agent provocateur is allowed to give his sermons but is widely celebrated with politicians and senior religious figures attending his ceramah. – July 24, 2025
