MUAR: Tan Kee Ann was burdened with the heaviest of tasks on Saturday.

He had to tell his sister-in-law, Lee Lay Ha, that three of her children had died in an accident on Jalan Pagoh-Parit Sulong here, earlier that night.

Lee had been driving the car when the accident occurred. She was knocked unconscious, but awoke two hours later.

Tan, 37, said Lee asked for her children immediately upon gaining consciousness.

With tears in his eyes, Tan had to muster all the courage he had to tell her the terrible news.
"She woke up and asked for her children. She did not even ask about herself, but her kids. It was just heartbreaking to see her.

"She just cried after I told her that her children were no more.

"It was the saddest moment in my life. Imagine losing your kids in such a tragedy.

"I could only cry for her," he said at the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital mortuary.

Siblings Tan Jun Hui, 4, Jun Wah, 11, and Jun Nia, 12, and their cousin Wong Yui Yen, 7, were killed on the spot in a head-on collision between the Proton Wira they were in and a lorry.

Their Indonesian maid Kismi Wati, 23, also died instantly.

Another sibling, Jun Kwang, 8, and cousin, also named Wong Yui Yen, 6, sustained serious head and body injuries, along with Lee.

However, the lorry driver, only known as Zaki, and his attendant, Sofie Baharum, 28, escaped unhurt.

Tan said the family was on their way from Batu Pahat to Panchor here for their usual weekend visit with the children's grandmother.

"Lee is a teacher at SMK Banang Jaya in Batu Pahat while her children studied at SK Banang Jaya.

"They were bright students and were very close to each other. This is a huge loss for our family."

Tan claimed Lee usually drove carefully and would hesitate to speed.

Sofie earlier claimed that Lee had tried avoiding a stalled taxi at the side of the road, before crashing into the lorry.

"I do not believe that. Something is wrong because Lee is a careful driver. She would have seen the lorry," Tan said.

A funeral will be held at the Bakri Chinese cemetery today.