SUNGAI PETANI: The past 365 days have been the hardest in the life of couple Muhamad Salleh Othman and wife Jamilah Ismail.
Every single morning upon waking up, the couple, aged 58 and 54 respectively, who run a stall near SK Sidam Kiri here, has to live with the fact that their beloved son, Muhamad Hafiz, is forever gone.
"Any parent would feel the emptiness. We had him for 30 years in our lives. The way he left us in such a sudden and tragic way…"
"Surely, we are at peace with what was fated for him, but, of course, we still miss him every single day.
"At times, we do feel that he is still around," said Salleh while fighting to hold back tears.
The family held a Yassin and 'tahlil' recital for Hafiz at their home in Taman Sidam Kiri here today to mark one year of the fateful aircraft crash in Elmina, Shah Alam which claimed the lives of 10 people including their son.
In the 2.40pm incident on Aug 17, 2023, Hafiz, 30, a delivery rider, was killed when the Beechraft 390 (Premier 1) private aircraft crashed while descending to touch down at Subang Airport after departing from Langkawi.
Hafiz, the eldest child of five, was delivering an order to a customer on his motorcycle when the incident struck.
The incident claimed the lives of two pilots and six passengers onboard, including Pahang's Pelangai assemblyman Datuk Johari Harun.
Also killed in the tragic incident was an e-hailing driver who was passing the scene.
Despite the painful loss, the couple found solace in their grandson, Syahhaidai, who was given birth by their daughter, Norhikmah, two months after the incident.
"He looks very much identical to Hafiz when he was at that age. In fact, my grandson shares the same interest as Hafiz, who liked to be taken for a ride on a motorcycle.
"After coming back from my stall, he would wait at the doorstep for me to take him for a ride.
"He is a blessing to us. He provides some sort of relief every time we miss Hafiz," he said while holding the 10-month-old child on his lap.
Nurhikmah, 27, and husband Shahrul Nizam Abdul Rahman, 28, have been living with the couple for the past one year.
Salleh said the family was also touched by Hafiz's delivery rider colleagues who have been coming to visit his grave at least three times for the past year.
"They have been coming from the Klang Valley in a group of four to five people at least three times since the tragedy.
"They would drive to here, hold recitals, and have a short break at our home, before heading back.
"I can't tell how close the bond between my late son and them was, but we are deeply touched by the way they are honouring their friendship with Hafiz," he said.