SIBU, Oct 4: The remains of fallen hero Yahya Ali, 25, will be buried at Kampung Tian in Matu tonight.
Yahya was one of six divers from Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) who died during a search-and-rescue operation for a missing teenager in a disused mining pool at Taman Putra Perdana in Puchong, Selangor, yesterday.
A military aircraft transporting his remains from Subang touched down at Sibu Airport at 5.22pm. Twenty-four minutes later, a Bomba Mi171 helicopter brought Yahya’s body to his village.
The helicopter, piloted by Capt. Mohd Ruzaidi Ramlee and Capt Zahrolayali Abdul Talib, landed at Matu at 6.17pm.
About 70 Bomba personnel were at Sibu Airport to pay their last respects.
Sarawak Bomba director Khirudin Drahman told reporters at Sibu Airport that the tragedy happened so suddenly that his office was caught off-guard.
“As this tragedy happened so suddenly, we only managed to organise a last respect rite of a moderate scale for our fallen hero,” said Khirudin, who extended his condolences to Yahya’s family.
Meanwhile, political secretary to Chief Minister, Teng Ung Woo, represented Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) president Prof Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian to present a token to Yahya’s family through Khirudin.
Several Sarawakian politicians had also expressed their regrets for what had happened to Yahya. A few others made their way to Yahya’s village to attended the wake.
— DayakDaily
