Late Cpl Norazmi Was A Firm, Loving Son - Mother

ALOR SETAR, June 17 (Bernama) -- Corporal Norazmi Abu Bakar, one of two soldiers killed in an explosion during a grenade-throwing exercise in Gurun yesterday, was described as a firm individual who deeply respected and loved his parents and family.  

His mother, Fatimah Ismail, 78, said her third child among five siblings never argued or talked back when reprimanded, choosing instead to listen quietly.

"If I advised or scolded him, he would just keep quiet... he never answered back or responded. He was a good son and also cared deeply for his siblings, especially his youngest brother, Norazrul Fitri, 32," she told reporters here today.

Recalling her last meeting with her son, Fatimah said that a day before the incident, he returned to her home in Merbok, Sungai Petani, at about 11.30 pm and happily ate rice with fish curry that she had prepared.

"I was about to go to bed when he arrived home. When I asked why he had come back, he said he had just finished work in Gurun and returned to visit me, his father and his younger brother. He had visited us just three days earlier and I did not notice any changes or unusual signs in him.

"When I asked whether he had eaten, he said he had, but later went to the kitchen to eat. Usually when he came home he would only eat a little, but this time he ate a lot. After eating, he went out briefly to the shop," she said.

Fatimah said that when she woke up for dawn prayers, she asked whether he would be going to work and he told her to wake him up.

"When I woke him up, I touched his body and it felt very cold. So I told him to get up and get ready, and I even prepared a hot cup of coffee for him. After drinking it, he greeted and kissed me, and I reminded him to drive carefully back to the camp in Gurun.

"Usually, when he left, I would watch him go as normal, but yesterday I waited until his car disappeared from sight. I don't know why, but I felt especially attached to him and found it difficult to let him go," she said.

Fatimah said she only learned of her son's death when his wife called her at about noon yesterday.

"His wife called and told me to be patient first, before informing me that he had died. I was shocked because I never expected him to leave before me, but this is all God's will," she said.

Meanwhile, Norazrul said his brother was a firm but kind person who enjoyed chatting.

However, he was unusually quiet while at home yesterday, and Norazrul never imagined it would be the last time he saw him.

Norazmi, a member of the Sixth Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment, and Private Siti Khadijah Sungip of the First Squadron Royal Engineers Regiment, suffered severe injuries in the incident at Camp Hobart at 10.57 am and died on the way to Hospital Sultan Abdul Halim, Sungai Petani.

-- BERNAMA