KUANTAN: The aunt of the 11-year-old boy who died after he was allegedly kicked, choked and assaulted by a senior at a welfare home for orphans and poor near here on Sunday has expressed disbelief over the incident.
Describing the incident that claimed her nephew Muhammad Hafdan Qurbani Azhar's life as tragic, Faridah Latif, 49, said she could not believe when told that Hafdan died after he was beaten by a friend over a dispute involving RM4.
"We were close and I am upset over the incident which led to his death. The loss of an innocent life over RM4 should never have happened.
"All the memories with Hafdan remain fresh ... I will never forget them. I last met him in January when he visited his grandmother at Kampung Gedung Siam here," she said when met at the victim's house at Kampung Gelugor, Paya Bungor, here today.
Hafdan, a Year Five pupil, died at the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital(HTAA) on Sunday after he was kicked and assaulted by a 16-year-old boy who occupied the same home in an incident allegedly over a dispute involving RM4.
The suspect, who has since been remanded, had accused the victim of stealing his RM4, but the latter did not take the matter seriously, which further irked the suspect, resulting in the alleged attack.
The victim was rushed by a 35-year-old warden to the HTAA here about 4.30pm where he was later pronounced dead.
Meanwhile, Faridah said Hafdan was a soft-spoken boy who was never rude or disrespected by the elderly including his parents.
"You can ask anyone in the family and they will reply that Hafdan was always well-mannered, kind and had good characters. His loss is deeply felt, and his parents will certainly feel his absence.
"He had spent the school holidays at home and only went back to the hostel last week for the new school term. During the school break, Hafdan built a small wooden hut on a huge tree near our house for him to play and the hut will now remind the family of him," she said.
Meanwhile, a villager Muhammad Ikmal Hasbullah Ariffin, 23, said he only knew about the incident after Maghrib prayers yesterday when someone informed in the village's mosque WhatsApp group.
"Everyone was shocked especially when told that the death was due to criminal elements. We are angry but let the police do their job and punish those responsible for Hafdan's death," he said.
Hafdan was buried at the Kampung Gelugor Muslim cemetary today.