KUALA LUMPUR: The six firemen, who died while searching for a teenager who fell into a mining pool in Puchong, Selangor, on Wednesday, were laid to rest in their hometowns yesterday.
In Port Dickson , Adnan Othman was the first to be laid to rest. His remains were buried at the Lukut Muslim cemetery at 2pm, where some 500 people came to pay their last respects.
Present were Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun and PKR president-elect Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In Kuantan , Mohd Fatah Ha-shim was buried at the Muslim cemetery in Kampung Baru Beserah.
Visitors arrived at the family home as early as 9am. Fellow firefighters, who were still in shock, cried as Fatah’s body was placed into a van and taken to the Beserah mosque for prayers.
In Pasir Mas, some 200 people turned up for the burial of Muhammad Hifdzul Malik Shaari at the Kampung Kubang Terap Muslim cemetery.
A light drizzle accompanied the solemn mood, as his remains were buried after prayers at his parents’ home about 5.20pm.
His body arrived at the house 20 minutes earlier, accompanied by Fire and Rescue Department officers and personnel.
Present at the burial was Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob, who acted as imam.
In Rantau Panjang, Ahmad was imam again at the prayers for Izatul Akma Wan Ibrahim.
Some 500 people crowded the mosque and the Muslim cemetery in Taman Lubuk Stol, where the 32-year-old was buried about 7pm.
Izatul Akma’s remains had arrived at his family home in Kampung Bechah Kaki about 6pm, accompanied by colleagues from the Shah Alam fire station in Selangor.
In Tawau , Mazlan Omarbaki was laid to rest at the Batu Payung Pinagat Muslim cemetery, his remains having been flown here and then taken to his uncle’s house in Kampung Batu Payung about 6.20pm.
Hundreds of villagers and firemen paid their last respects.
In Mukah, more than 200 people crowded the Kampung Tian Muslim cemetery in Matu, for the burial of 24-year-old fireman Yahya Ali.
Yahya’s remains were buried about 7.25pm after the final rites at his family home and Maghrib prayers.
His body had been flown to Sibu Airport on board a Royal Malaysian Air Force CN-235 transport aircraft from the Subang air base, then transported to Kampung Tian in a Fire and Rescue Department helicopter.
Accompanying the remains were Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department director Khirudin Drahman and Igan member of parliament Ahmad Johnie.
At the family home, Khirudin presented the department flag which had been earlier draped on Yahya’s coffin to his 53-year-old father, Ali Bengang, as a symbol of the department’s respect and recognition of his son’s sacrifice.
Reporting by: T.N. Alagesh, Siti Nor Hidayatidayu Razali, Syaherah Mustafa, Abdul Rahemang Taiming, Khalid Latip and Harun Yahya