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'He was excited to repaint the house,' son recalls father's final wish

JASIN: The son of a man who tragically died in an accident expressed regret that his late father's wish to repaint their family home remained unfulfilled.

Haizan Husali lost both his father and mother, Husali Umar, 84, and Mastura Said, 60, after the taxi they were travelling in crashed into a bridge wall and caught fire on Jalan Kampung Seri Lanchang, Merlimau yesterday (Nov 28).

The incident also claimed the life of the taxi driver, S. Subbramaniam, 71.

Haizan shared that his late father was thrilled about the idea of repainting their house and had personally purchased purple paint and asked his children for help.

"Because of our jobs, we had to wait for the right time.

My mother had already started painting the walls herself, and later, my youngest sister helped her," he said emotionally when met at the Forensic Unit of Jasin Hospital yesterday.

He described how his late father's face lit up with joy as he watched the transformation of their home, which had looked dull and faded before the repainting.

"Yesterday, my sister shared the last photo of my father sitting on a chair with the freshly painted purple wall in the background.

"When she was leaving, my father, who relied on a walking stick, accompanied her to the balcony and waved goodbye. That wave turned out to be his final farewell," he said.

Haizan learned about the accident involving his parents after being contacted by his brother-in-law who recognised the taxi involved in the crash around 9.30am.

He saw firefighters retrieving the victims' bodies and noticed a walking stick, which confirmed to him that the victims were his parents after rushing to the scene.

"Yesterday, when my sister was leaving, my father said he wanted to go shopping at Merlimau Market.

"My sister offered to take him, but he declined, saying he would take the taxi he had used for years. Perhaps it was fate that my father and mother passed away together," he said.

The couple would be laid to rest at the Islamic Cemetery in Felcra Lembah Kesang.

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