MARANG: Saidah Isa is beside herself with grief, unable to accept that she had lost both her daughter and granddaughter in a road crash in Pahang yesterday.
"I can't believe my daughter is gone. We met just yesterday (Sunday), and she mentioned that she would return to her hometown this week.
"I never expected she would come back this way," said the 63-year-old of her daughter, Noraini Ali, who died in the incident involving three vehicles at Km34, Jalan Maran-Bandar Jengka.
The 42-year-old, who is the second of 11 siblings, perished alongside her youngest daughter, Aufa Medina Azuan, 7.
Also killed was 13-year-old SMK Jengka 2 student Nik Nurien Haziqah Nik Ibrahim.
Saidah said Noraini had just returned to Felda Jengka, about 3pm the day before, after spending two days in her hometown.
She said Noraini had informed her that she would return to the village again this week.
"Previously, she would come home every two weeks, but for the past three weeks, she had come back every week. I asked her if it was difficult for them to return so frequently, worrying it might be burdensome.
"She assured me that her husband (my son-in-law) had no issues with it, and they planned to come back again this weekend," she said when met outside the Rusila mosque.
Saidah said she learned of the crash about around 8am after receiving a phone call from her son-in-law.
"I never expected something like this to happen. Please pray that they are placed among the righteous," she said.
The bodies of mother and daughter were laid to rest in a single grave at the Kampung Rusila Muslim cemetery last night.
The remains of Noraini, a clerk at SK Jengka 3, along with her youngest daughter, arrived at the mosque at 10pm, where prayers were held for them.
Noraini, who was driving a Perodua Alza, and Nik Nurien Haziqah, who was the front passenger in a Toyota Avanza, died at the scene of the crash, while Noraini's daughter was pronounced dead at the Jengka Health Clinic later.