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New Straits Times
09-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Quiet farewell before Sungai Korok tragedy stays with victim's sister forever
JITRA: Mohamad Azim Izat Ishak was not his usual self on the morning of the tragedy that claimed his life, along with those of his wife and four children, according to family members. The 32-year-old, usually cheerful and chatty, appeared unusually quiet. "He hugged our mother tightly. He hugged me too, and told me to take care of her," said his sister, Nor Hanani Mawaddah, 30, when met at the family home in Taman Seri Aman here today (July 9). "He usually talks a lot, but that night, he just stared… quiet, pensive. "When I asked him to stay the night, he said he couldn't. He had work, and his wife had to open the stall early the next morning." Little did Nor Hanani and the rest of the family know that Azim's silence was his quiet farewell, a moment that would stay with them always. Hanani, who lives in Arau, said it was her youngest sister, Nur Adliah Syuhada, who broke the devastating news the following day. "She said, 'Abang's gone'. And deep down, we just knew he was in there (Sungai Korok)," she said. Azim had returned to their family home the night before. After he failed to respond to calls, Mawaddah and the family began searching. "We started looking on Saturday and continued through Sunday. "We just had this gut feeling. We even went to the canal. Every time we passed that spot, we felt uneasy. "I remember we prayed, we made the azan, hoping that if they were in there, something would happen." On Monday morning, the family's worst fears were confirmed. The bodies of Azim, his wife Nurul Hidayah Khadijah Razman Efendi, 31, and their four children, Putra Rayyan Nur, 9; Hawa Adriana Nur, 8; Annayla Humaira Nur, 7; and six-month-old Tuah Haydar were found inside their submerged Proton Iswara in Sungai Korok. Initial investigations showed the vehicle may have skidded off the road and plunged into the river while the family was travelling home to Jerlun. Hanani is now calling for improved safety measures at the stretch where the accident occurred. "This year alone, three people have fallen in at the same spot. It's dangerous. Something must be done." She also shared how close-knit the family was. The children, she said, were especially attached to their extended family. "They didn't need a fancy outing to be happy. Even a chance to play together in a portable pool was enough. "My sister Syuhada has one. On holidays, she would set it up, and the kids would play for hours. We all joined in. It was our thing."
New Straits Times
09-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Son asked for forgiveness days before river tragedy, says mother
JITRA: Days before the accident that claimed the lives of Mohamad Azim Izat Ishak, his wife, and their four children, the 32-year-old father visited his mother. It would turn out to be an emotional farewell. Azim, a security guard, had visited Nazirah Ismail, 67, at a religious study centre in Kampung Palas, Kodiang, on June 27. During the visit, he hugged her tightly and asked her for forgiveness. "He told me to forgive him for every drop of milk I fed him." "He hugged me for a long time and apologised. He said he couldn't make my life easier, that he had only caused me trouble "At the time, I thought it was strange. He had never said anything like that before." The retired teacher said today that Azim had stepped out of his car a second time to hug her once more before leaving. "I didn't think anything of it. But now, looking back, the way he held me, it was like he didn't want to let go," she said at her home in Taman Seri Aman in Jitra. Nazirah described Azim as a devoted son, brother and loving father. "He was close to his siblings. The night before the incident, he even fed his youngest sister, Shuhada." What struck her even more was a strange dream recounted by her granddaughter, Putri Qisya Nur Izzat, 12 — Azim's only remaining child. "She woke up crying, and told me her father appeared in her dream and said, 'Kakak, stay strong. From now on, we will only be watching you from far away'. "I told her (Qisya) to be patient, to be strong. I'm hurting too. I carried her father in my womb for nine months." Nazirah said her grandson, Putra Rayyan, 8, had become unusually affectionate with her in the days leading up to the incident. "He was very clingy, always wanted to be close to me. It's like he sensed something," she said. The family was found inside their Proton Iswara after it was pulled out from Sungai Korok near Jitra on Monday. The victims were Azim, his wife Nurul Hidayah Khadijah Razman Efendi, 31, and their children: Putra Rayyan; Hawa Adriana, 8; Annayla Humaira, 7; and 6-month-old Tuah Haydar.
New Straits Times
07-07-2025
- New Straits Times
Sungai Korok tragedy: Family of six to be laid to rest next to baby lost in February
JITRA: The family of six killed in the Sungai Korok tragedy will be laid to rest next to their infant son, who died earlier this year. In the tragedy, a Proton Iswara carrying the family veered off the road and plunged into the river, killing all six occupants They were husband and wife Mohamad Azim Izat Ishak, 32, and Nurul Hidayah Khadijah Razman Efendi, 31, along with their four children: Putra Rayyan Nur, 9; Hawa Adriana Nur, 8; Annayla Humaira Nur, 7; and six-month-old Tuah Haydar. Azim's younger sister, Nur Shafika Izani, in her 20s, said the tragedy came just months after Azim lost Tuah Haydar's twin brother, Jebat Haydar, who died in February due to health complications. "We're planning to bury my brother, sister-in-law, and their four children next to Jebat Haydar's grave in Jerlun," she said when met today. Recalling the family's desperate search, Shafika said they had scoured numerous locations, including areas near Sungai Korok, but found no signs of the missing family. "Yesterday, the river was swollen, but today the water level dropped a little — that's when we noticed a part of my brother's Proton Saga Iswara sticking out. "The accident site is not far from the home of my brother's mother-in-law in Jerlun — just about four minutes away," she added. She said the family was on their way home to Jerlun after spending the night at their elder sister's house in Taman Sri Aman, Jitra, about 22 kilometres from the crash site.
Sinar Daily
07-07-2025
- Sinar Daily
Six family members die in Sungai Korok – Here's what you need to know
The bodies were confirmed to be that of one adult male, one adult female, three children and an infant. The disappearance of a family of six since Saturday has captured national attention, with many on social media anxiously awaiting updates on their fate. The disappearance of a family of six since Saturday has captured national attention, with many on social media anxiously awaiting updates on their fate. This morning, a tragic turn of events unfolded when a sedan Proton Iswara was found submerged at the bottom of Sungai Korok in Jitra, Kedah with several occupants inside confirmed dead. The bodies were confirmed to be that of one adult male, one adult female, three children and an infant. Photo/SINAR Authorities believe the victims are the six missing family members. Here is the timeline of events leading up to and following their disappearance, which ended with the heartbreaking discovery in Sungai Korok: JULY 5 The victims, Mohd Azim Ezzat Ishak, 32, his wife, and their four children who lived in Jerlun, arrived at his sister's home in Taman Aman, Jitra, to spend the night. JULY 6 Azim's sister, Nur Adliah Shuhada, lodged a police report after the entire family could not be located since that morning following their overnight stay. She said that the family regularly stayed over and would usually leave early in the morning so Azim, who worked as a security guard, could report for duty. The family's disappearance, including wife Nurul Hidayah Khalijah Razman Effendy, 31 and their four children aged between six months and nine years, was noticed when they did not return home to Jerlun and could not be contacted. Adliah also clarified that the couple's eldest child, a 12-year-old, was not with them and had stayed behind with their grandmother in Jerlun. She added that the night before the disappearance, everything seemed normal and the couple had not shared any issues or concerns. News outlets began reporting on the missing family and public alerts were widely circulated. JULY 7 The missing family was found dead on Monday morning inside their Proton Iswara, which was discovered submerged in Sungai Korok. The vehicle was located at the bottom of the river, prompting a response from the Kedah Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM). Zone 1 Fire Chief and Senior Fire Superintendent Ahmad Aminuddin Abd Rahim confirmed they received an emergency call regarding a vehicle that had fallen into the river at 8.38am. The bodies were confirmed to be that of one adult male, one adult female, three children and an infant. Recovery efforts were still ongoing, and the identification of the victims was being carried out by their next of kin.
NDTV
03-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Ghost Schools, Fake Students: Rs 57 Lakh Minority Scholarship Scam In Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal: A major scholarship scam worth over lakhs has surfaced in Madhya Pradesh, where more than 40 madrasas and minority schools in Bhopal allegedly siphoned off government funds using fake or ineligible students. NDTV's ground investigation raises serious questions: Were the students ever real - or were they just names on paper? NDTV's team began their investigation at the listed address of "City Montessori School" near Aam Wali Masjid in Bhopal - one of the institutions under scrutiny by the Crime Branch. But there was no school there. What we found instead were deserted lanes, unrelated school boards, and finally, a single board of "City Montessori" on Chiklod Road. Beneath the board? No classrooms, no students, just a locked structure. Locals confirmed: the school never functioned. "They only rented space and put up a board. No classes were ever held here," said Azim, a local resident. "I've lived here my whole life. That board has been up for years, but no school ever opened," added Mohammad Salim. Yet, records show the school claimed Rs 1.65 lakh in scholarship for 29 students from Classes 1 to 8. The scam doesn't stop there. According to the Crime Branch, many institutions without proper recognition - some approved only till Class 8 - claimed scholarships in the names of students studying in Classes 11 and 12. The numbers are staggering - Rs 57.78 lakh withdrawn, 972 students' names used, over 100 educational institutions under the scanner. "We have registered FIRs against operators of 40 schools and madrasas," said Additional Deputy Commission of Police Shailendra Singh Chauhan. "If the students themselves are found to be fictitious, harsher legal action will follow." The scam has triggered a political row. The opposition has slammed the BJP-led government, calling it another addition to a growing list of education-related scams. "From Vyapam to nursing, every sector has seen scams," said former Congress minister PC Sharma. "This money must be recovered and given to the deserving." In response, Krishna Gaur, Minister for Minority Welfare, distanced herself from the controversy. "These complaints were raised during the previous tenure," she said. "The central government is probing the matter. Our department is cooperating and has submitted the required information." NDTV's reality check revealed a painful irony - the very students the scheme was meant for, never received the aid. While fake schools and names pocketed government money, thousands of underprivileged students who genuinely need help remain neglected. Because when schemes are looted on paper, it's not just public money that's stolen - it's a poor child's chance at a better future.
