MALBATT'S SERGEANT FARIDAH LAID TO REST

ALOR SETAR, May 25 (Bernama) -- The remains of Sergeant Faridah Abd Rahman, 39, a member of the Malaysian Battalion 850-11 (MALBATT 850-11) for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), who died in the West Asian country on Saturday, were laid to rest at 10.20 am today.

Earlier, the coffin bearing her body, flown from Subang Air Base on a military transport aircraft, arrived at  Kolej Tentera Udara (KTU) Alor Setar, Kepala Batas, at 8.10 am before being taken to Masjid Al Anwar Kampung Tengah Tualang, Pokok Sena, at 9 am.

She was given a final tribute by family members before the funeral prayer, led by Deputy Director-General (Policy and Management) of the Armed Forces Religious Corps (KAGAT), Brigadier General Mohd Hamzah Adam, which was attended by more than 300 congregants.

Her body was then transported to the Muslim Cemetery of Masjid Al Anwar, Kampung Tengah, and buried with full military honours next to the grave of her younger sister, who died in 2013 due to asthma.

More than 500 people, including family members, friends, and villagers, attended the burial to pay their last respects. 

The atmosphere turned sombre as her four children, Nurul Syifa Nor Azmi, 13; Muhammad Afnan, 10; Nurul Jannah, seven (who has Down syndrome); and Ainul Mardiah, four, mourned their loss of their mother.

On May 19, the Armed Forces Headquarters issued a statement informing that Faridah, died at 2.25 am Lebanese time (7.25 am Malaysian time) the same day, after collapsing upon disembarking from a bus at Marakah Camp, shortly after arriving in Lebanon from a month-long leave in Malaysia.

An autopsy at Hammoud Hospital, Saida, Lebanon confirmed that the cause of death of the Senior Islamic Affairs Supervisor of MALBATT 850-11 at Marakah Camp was a heart attack.

-- BERNAMA