Megat Ashman Aqif’s father leaves for New Zealand to retrieve body

IPOH: The grandfather of the late Megat Ashman Aqif Megat Irman Jefni, 21, who died in a road accident in Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, On Saturday (March 30), said that the student’s father will leave for New Zealand on Sunday (March 31), to make the necessary arrangements regarding his son’s remains.

Megat Khas Husaini Megat Abd Rahman, 85, said that his son, Megat Irman Jefni, 49, expressed his intention to bring Megat Ashman Aqif’s remains home to be buried in Perak.

“We have considered burying the body over there, as bringing the remains home will be complicated (including organ removal and not being able to look at the body), but he (Megat Irman Jefni) said that he wants his son to be buried here, as it will be easier to visit the grave later on, but it’s all up to him,” he said when met at his residence in Gunung Rapat on Sunday (March 31).

Recalling the moment he and his wife were informed of the tragedy, he said that his son called him to the house in Meru on Saturday, saying there was news to be shared.

ALSO READ: Two Malaysian students killed in NZ car crash

However, as soon as they arrived at his son’s house, his son hugged him tight and told him that his grandson had passed away in a road accident.

“I saw that he (Megat Irman Jefni) was still calling Aqif even though he was told that Aqif was gone. Aqif’s phone kept ringing, but no one answered,” said the visibly sad Megat Khas Husaini.

He added that he was informed that Megat Ashman Aqif was participating in a convoy with two other vehicles before the vehicle driven by his grandson, which was at the rear, broke away from the convoy.

“It turns out that the deceased’s vehicle was in a collision with a motorcycle and veered off the road,” he said.

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Meanwhile, the deceased’s grandmother, Nor Hanita Meor Mohd Nor, 62, said that Megat Ashman Aqif, who had just celebrated his birthday on March 8, was cheerful and would always inform them whenever he went out anywhere since he started studying in New Zealand in July last year.

“He told us that he got an internship at an accounting firm there and said that he wouldn’t return home until he finished studying. The last time he contacted us was the day before yesterday, asking where we were breaking fast,” she said.

Nor Hanita added that, according to Megat Ashman Aqif’s friends, the deceased often encouraged them to pray.

She also said that her grandson had plans to hold his wedding at their (grandparents’) house.

ALSO READ: Higher Education Ministry to bring back bodies of two students killed in NZ crash

Meanwhile, the deceased’s grief-stricken father was too distraught to speak to reporters.

On Saturday, the Foreign Ministry, through the Malaysian High Commission in Wellington, New Zealand, in a statement, said that two Malaysian students were killed in a road accident at 1.45pm local time. – BK