Mum relieved missing son is recovering in hospital

GEORGE TOWN: The mother of a Malaysian who was missing after the terror attack at the Al Noor Mosque in Christchurch was relieved to know later that he has been hospitalised.

Rokiah Mohammad, 65, from Kampung Binjai, was grateful that Rahimi Ahmad, 39, had been found.

“I was so worried when I got the news of the attack.

“Fortunately, we are blessed by Allah and he is okay even though we don’t know exactly his condition,” she said when met at her house.

Bayan Lepas assemblyman Azrul Mahathir Aziz, who visited Rokiah, said they received news that Rahimi underwent surgery yesterday to remove a bullet in his stomach and that the procedure was a success.

“He, however, needs to undergo another operation as it is understood that the bullet had hit his spinal cord as well,” he said.

Azrul said plans are afoot to help Rokiah travel to New Zealand to see her son.

According to reports, Rahimi’s wife said that he had pretended to be dead during the shooting to escape the gunman.

The New Zealand Herald reported that Rahimi went for Friday prayers with his 11-­­­­year-old son as he did each week.

His son was playing outside when gunshots were heard in the mosque and a devotee rushed him to a house next door, the report stated.