Tragic loss: Yu Zie’s (inset) parents sobbing as they bid their final goodbye to their child. — Photos by China Press
Tears, grief and a father’s final whisper to a son lost too soon
JOHOR BARU: With tears streaming down his face, Teo Jie stood over the casket of his five-year-old son and whispered: “Go find Grandpa”.
The son, Yu Zie, had died tragically after being left in a school van, and grief hung heavy as family members and loved ones came to bid farewell to him at the Nirvana Memorial Centre here.
As he sobbed beside the casket, the boy’s father could also be heard gently telling his son not to be afraid.
Meanwhile, his mother was overwhelmed with grief and broke down.
She was seen wiping the coffin with tissues and had to be supported by relatives throughout the ceremony.
The funeral venue featured photographs of the boy, along with a slideshow that showed cherished memories.
The boy’s uncle, who only wanted to be known as Lim, described the child as a quiet yet playful boy who had left a lasting mark on the family.
“This incident has garnered a lot of attention and many people, including unfamiliar faces, have offered support and attended my nephew’s funeral.
“It is a truly tragic loss for all of us,” he told the press, adding that the child’s parents are still grieving.
At the wake in Skudai here, a slideshow and photographs capturing the boy’s short life were displayed for relatives and visitors to remember him by.
The boy was then laid to rest at a Christian cemetery in Kong Kong.
According to reports in the Chinese press, the boy’s mother is a Chinese national and his maternal grandmother flew in from China to attend the funeral.
The grandmother was also in tears.
On Wednesday, the boy was found unconscious in a locked school van hours after he was supposed to have arrived in class.
He was pronounced dead at a private hospital the same day.
On Thursday, Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm M. Kumarasan said police had arrested the van driver at around 2.40pm the same day in the Bukit Indah area.
He stated that the boy was believed to have been left behind after the driver dropped off the other children at about 7.30am.
The case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for neglect or omission likely to cause physical injury to a child.
