KUALA NERUS: It should have been a happy day for Haslina Kalang as she looked forward to receiving her scroll after years of pursuing her tertiary education at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA).
Instead, she was left in utter despair when she received the devastating news of her father's passing earlier today.
The 23-year-old, who hails from Tawau, got the news just 15 minutes before she was to go up on stage to receive her Bachelor of International Relations (Hons).
The sadness was clearly felt in the hall, as a visibly distraught Haslina was hugged by Professor Dr Syarilla Iryani Ahmad Saany, the central director for corporate communications and relationship management, in front of UniSZA Pro Chancellor Tan Sri Mohd Yusof Noor and the top management of UniSZA who were on stage and also felt for Haslina.
Haslina said that she contacted her mother, Kurniati Iskandar, 48, earlier in the morning to ask how her father, Kalang Tona, 56, was doing but was unable to speak to him because he was said to be bathing at the time.
"Before I entered the convocation hall, I contacted my mother once again because I wanted to speak to my father, but she said that he was still bathing.
"Then, when already in the convocation hall and about 15 minutes before my turn to go up on stage, I received a call from my neighbour from back home who told me that my father had passed away," she said when met after UniSZA's 15th convocation ceremony at the Al-Muktafi Billah Shah UniSZA hall.
Haslina, who is the second of five siblings, said that she came back to UniSZA yesterday, accompanied by her eldest sister Kasnia, 24, to get her scroll.
She said that she felt uneasy and uncomfortable returning to Terengganu, but her father asked her to go and attend the convocation to get the scroll that she studied hard to earn.
"My father suffered a stroke last year, and of late his health had deteriorated where he was also unable to sleep well at night.
"After I completed my studies at UniSZA last year, it was my mother and I who looked after him. I am devastated because I was not able to share the happiness of completing my tertiary education and graduating with my beloved father," she said.
Haslina said that by right she was only supposed to return to Tawau tomorrow, but she will instead return immediately today with her sister because of what happened.
"I am grateful to the management of UniSZA who chipped in and helped by coming up with RM2,500 for the flight back to Tawau," she said.