Elmina plane crash: Victim died almost exactly three years after mother, says cousin

KLANG: Almost three years to the day after his mother’s passing, Mohamad Naim Fawwaz Mohamed Muaidi perished in the Elmina plane crash on Thursday (Aug 17).

Naim Fawwaz’s cousin, Ariyanee Ahmad Zulkifli, 48, said she had lost her aunt on Aug 18, 2020.

“His mother died on that day and he passed on yesterday (Aug 17).

“We were like siblings and my cousin was a happy and cheerful person,” she said when met at the forensics department of Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) here.

Ariyanee added that her grandmother was also informed of the passing of Muhammad Naim.

“My grandmother, who is in her 90s, is saddened but she has accepted God’s fate,” she said.

Ariyanee said the family was prepared to perform the funeral rites at Surau Saujana Impian and burial at Tanah Perkuburan Islam Sungai Kantan in Kajang.

Earlier, Inspector-General of PoliceTan Sri Razarudin Husain said that families of the crash victims could claim the bodies earliest by Monday (Aug 21).

Razarudin said the DNA test that is being carried out to identify the victims' identities will take time.

He also advised the next-of-kin to go home or to their respective accommodations instead of waiting at the hospital.

Ariyanee said the family hoped that the post-mortem process would go on smoothly.

Ten people, including eight onboard a light aircraft, were killed after it crashed near the Elmina township in Selangor.

A car driver and a motorcyclist were also killed on the ground during the impact.

The incident occurred at about 2.40pm on Thursday (Aug 17).

The aircraft, which took off from Langkawi, was cleared to land at the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang when it lost communication with the control tower.

Among the dead was first-term Pelangai state assemblyman and Pahang exco member Datuk Seri Johari Harun.

The others were pilots Shahrul Kamal Roslan and Heikal Aras Abdul Azim, and passengers Kharil Azwan Jamaludin, Shaharul Amir Omar, Muhammad Taufiq Mohd Zaki and Idris Abdol Talib @ Ramali.