TUMPAT: It has been a year since the tragic incident that claimed the lives of three daughters due to electric shock, yet the memory remains vivid.
The lives of Mohd Nadzir Mohamed, 68, and his wife, Zainun Sulaiman, 63, underwent a profound change after witnessing the tragic incident on Dec 19 last year, where all three of their children lay dead simultaneously.
The arrival of this year's monsoon reignited Mohd Nadzir's longing for his three late children: Nurul Syazwani Mohd Nadzir, 33; Sakinah, 29; and Noor Fathiah, 27. They were electrocuted while wading through floodwater in Kampung Bendang Surau, Morak.
"If we dwell in our feelings of longing, our lives will constantly be accompanied by tears. I cannot express in words how much I miss the brightness that the three of them brought to our house.
"However, we must combat these feelings. Every day, I never fail to recite the tahlil for them while praying because that is the only gift I can give them," he said when met at his home.
In the incident at 11.45 am, the three sisters were electrocuted when one of them touched a pillar carrying a live current while wading through the floodwaters.
The tragedy garnered extensive media coverage and attracted the attention of various parties, including several national leaders who visited the family. Among them were Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and the Prime Minister's wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Mohd Nadzir said for the past year, every Friday morning, he visited the graves of his three children buried at the Islamic Cemetery in Kampung Morak.
Exactly one year after the passing of his three children, the family also held a tahlil ceremony at home, attended by relatives and neighbours.
"Due to the incident's proximity, just a few metres from our house, there were moments when I recalled the sight of their bodies lying in the water after they were electrocuted.
"Whenever I open the window and gaze directly at the incident site, the painful tragedy rushes back to my mind, and I quickly recite the istighfar.
"I hope this incident serves as a lesson for everyone to avoid playing recklessly in floods and to be careful around electricity," he said.
As for Zainun, the absence of her three daughters has made their home even lonelier.
She said five of their sons are also affected by the loss of the three sisters who used to manage the household.
"These three daughters were diligent in taking care of my husband and me, but they are now gone.
"We have kept many of their belongings, but some of their clothes, still in good condition, have been donated to those in need," she said.