IPOH: "Tolong doa dan terus solat hajat. Abah mintak maaf. Jaga diri semua." (Please pray and continue performing solat hajat. Forgive Abah. Take care, everyone).
These were the last words of Ahmad bin Ahmad Taib, 58, to his wife and children, before he died from Covid-19 at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB) here, on Wednesday.
Images of the message, which was scribbled on a piece of paper, went viral on social media after they were shared by his daughter, Syafiqa Humairak, 32, on her Facebook page.
She said she was not allowed to keep the sheet of paper on which her father's message was written, for fear that it was contaminated with the virus.
Syafiqa said her father, who suffered from kidney disease, tested positive for the virus last Thursday, before he was rushed to the HRPB for quarantine and further treatment.
"He did not show any positive development. In fact, his condition deteriorated and the doctors decided to sedate him on Monday.
"He wrote the notes before he was sedated. He was not able to talk. We also managed to make a video call to him before he was in a comatose state," she said when contacted today.
Syafiqa said all of her family members, including her 1-month-old nephew, tested positive for the virus, and most were not able to attend her father's funeral.
"I was the only one who could attend the funeral. It is sad because I couldn't kiss him for the last time. I could only watch him from afar. Covid-19 is no joke and no one is immune.
"It only took a week for the virus to kill my father. I hope people will take this virus seriously and observe all the safety measures set by the Health Ministry," said Syafiqa, who lives in Penang.
She added that her father was laid to rest at the Jalan Bendahara Muslim Cemetery here.