DUNGUN: A sense of unease gripped Muhammad Hazarul Ashwaq Azhar when his three close friends failed to answer his phone calls.
It eventually led to the 20-year-old Bachelor of Accountancy student at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Dungun being informed about the devastating news of the trio's death.
Hazarul lost his roommate Khairil Anwar Jamaludin, 20; his classmate Ku Adib Aizad Ku Azmi, 20; and his campus friend Muhammad Akmal Md Tukirin, 25.
The three were killed in a road accident in front of the campus near Kampung Sura Hujung yesterday, while another friend, Mohd Ammar Danish Mohammad Ridhuan, 20, was seriously injured and is being treated at the Dungun Hospital.
Hazarul said he tried calling all four of his friends as soon as he heard about the accident near the campus.
"I couldn't get through to three of them, and when I called Adib, he didn't pick up. That's when I rushed to the scene.
"When I arrived, several police officers asked me to identify the victims involved in the incident. My heart broke when I saw that they were all my friends. The three of them died at the scene," he said when met at Pusat Hidayah, UiTM Dungun, today.
He added that he had just finished jogging when he was informed about the accident.
"I found a watch belonging to Akmal at the scene, on the motorcycle involved in the crash."
He said Khairil Anwar had been his roommate this semester, while Ku Adib was his roommate during their first semester.
He said that he was close to all the victims and felt deep sadness knowing they were gone forever.
"Before Khairil Anwar 'left', I bought him some 'roti boy'. Perhaps that was my last gift to him. He had also bought a new shirt and showed it to me.
"He told me he wanted to it to class, but unfortunately, that didn't happen," he said, adding that they had invited him to join them for a meal before the incident, but he had politely declined.
The remains of all three students have been claimed by their families and will be laid to rest in their respective hometowns.
The remains of Akmal, who was studying for a Bachelor of Science in Food Service Management, was taken to Muar, Johor, for burial at Kampung Baru Cemetery, Batu 18, Ayer Hitam.
Khairil Anwar will be buried at the Ukay Perdana Muslim Cemetery in Ampang, Selangor, while Ku Adib Aizad's body will be taken to Sungai Buloh, Selangor.