SHAH ALAM: Hari Raya Aidilfitri will be celebrated with joy by many, but for 10-year-old Mohd Hasif Mohd Halim, it will be the second Aidilfitri without his parents and siblings.
What is left for the boy are memories of his family. His father, Mohd Halim Saiman, 44, mother, Nurul Adilah @ Salaiwati Awang, 39, and sisters, Nurul Arifah, 16, Nurul Hidayah Aina, 11, and Nurul Izzah, 10, drowned at a waterfall in Terengganu two years ago after they were swept away by strong currents.
Hasif’s aunt, Dr Siti Sabariah Samian, 40, said the Year Four pupil had been yearning for his parents and sisters, and not a day went by without him talking about them.
She said although Hasif appeared strong and happy, her husband and their two sons noticed that the boy missed his family more each day.
“He never says he misses his abi, ummi and siblings, but we know he misses them deeply.
“Every day, when we go about our day, he will bring up the things he used to do with them. He talks about it without looking sad, but we know he is.
“This Ramadan, Hasif has been talking about my brother, his wife and their three daughters frequently.
“For example, he will mention how his father, an imam, led tarawih prayers,” she told the New Straits Times on Thursday.
She said Hasif was very attached to his mother’s blanket, which he would hold when he went to bed, including when they returned to their hometown in Muar, Johor.
She said in the past, at the end of Ramadan, her brother would bring Hasif along when he sent food prepared by his family to their relatives.
“Hasif will miss the trips with his abi, and the family performing marhaban after the Aidilfitri prayers.”
She said Hasif was close to her sons, aged 13 and 14, whom the boy now regarded as his brothers.
Previously a quiet boy, she said Hasif was now more active, often playing outdoors with her sons.
The NST spoke to Hasif, who said he had been fasting and performing tarawih prayers steadfastly throughout Ramadan.
He said he had read 10 chapters of the Quran during Ramadan.
But when asked about his parents and sisters, Hasif became quiet as if he was trying to hide his feelings.
When the NST visited Dr Saba-
riah’s home in Jalan Kebun Baru, near here, Hasif was holding a letter from his father as he tried on Hari Raya clothes.
At first, he played with the letter, reluctant to open it.
But soon after, he began to cry, before looking away, deep in thought.
In the Dec 19, 2015 incident, Hasif could only watch helplessly as his family members were swept away by strong currents, known colloquially as kepala air, during an outing.