KEPALA BATAS: Ten-year-old Mohamad Fahmi Hafiz Mohamad Fakhruddin, who passed away after choking on a gummy candy nearly the size of a ping-pong ball, had never eaten that type of candy before.
This was attested by the father of the deceased, Mohamad Fakhruddin Mohamad Fikri, 35, who said his eldest son might have consumed the candy with his friends at his Fardu Ain Basic Class (religious school) school in Sungai Dua.
“As far as I know, he had never eaten that type of candy, and I had never bought him the candy,” he said.
Mohamad Fakhruddin, who works as a p-hailing rider, however, said he would not blame that candy for his son’s death and said he could have choked on some other food item.
Gone too soon: Mohammad Fakhruddin (in blue) with his daughter, Nufa Fakhira, at Masjid Jamek Permatang Binjai Muslim Cemetery where his son was laid to rest; (below) Mohamad Fahmi Hafiz. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
He said he accepts the tragedy as Allah’s will and considers it a part of his life’s trials.
The grieving father said his family has no plans to pursue the matter legally, despite police asking him to lodge a police report.
“We don’t want to blame anyone. We have accepted our son’s death,” he said.
But Mohamad Fakhruddin said he would heed the advice from the police to lodge a report on the tragedy since it happened at school.
Earlier at the Penang Hospital, grandmother Hambiah Kassim, 75, who was inconsolable, said she had never expected that last Saturday would be the last time she would see her grandson.
“He spent two weeks at my house in Alor Setar during the school holidays. But he asked his father to come back to my house and he did spend another week, and last Saturday was the last day I saw him,” she said.
A tearful atmosphere filled Masjid Jamek Permatang Binjai Muslim Cemetery as the remains of Mohamad Fahmi Hafiz were laid to rest, with family and friends gathered at the burial site to pay their final respects.
A hearse brought his remains to his grandmother’s house in Kampung Permatang Binjai at about 2pm after the post-mortem was concluded at Penang Hospital.
Over 200 family members and relatives were in attendance.
Also present were Teluk Ayer Tawar assemblyman Azmi Alang and state PKR women chief Nurhidayah Che Rose.
Police have ruled out foul play.
“Based on the initial report from the post-mortem, it is confirmed that there was no foul play and for now the case is classified as sudden death,” said North Seberang Perai OCPD Asst Comm Anuar Abdul Rahman.
ACP Anuar said the police are still awaiting the final report on the case to ascertain the actual cause of death but have ruled out criminal elements.
The Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) urged the Health Ministry to ban all types of junk food.
Its education officer N. Subarrow said that based on CAP’s survey, there were hundreds of dangerous candies and junk foods in the market for children.
“Authorities must take action against traders who sell junk food outside schools.
Officers from many government authorities yesterday inspected the many roadside stalls that were 100m from that school.
State health committee chairman Daniel Gooi said leftover pieces of the gummy candy, which was believed to have been consumed by the deceased, were seized.
