KLANG – Nizatul Akmar Mohd Nasir, the wife of Elmina crash victim Khairil Azwan Jamaludin, found out about the death of her husband through social media yesterday.
Speaking to Scoop, Nizatul said she did not receive any calls informing her about the Beechcraft Premier 1 twinjet crash near Elmina Township in Shah Alam, which her husband Khairil Azwan Jamaludin boarded yesterday.
“I received the information (on the crash) about 3pm, but it was through social media.
“I was in denial at first because I did not receive any calls from my husband’s company (Gading Air Services), the hospital or the authorities.
“So, I assumed that my husband was not on the plane. However, I still had to do something, so I contacted my husband’s friends and colleagues to get more details.”
Nizatul, a 43-year-old who works at a Zurich Takaful agency in her hometown Seremban, said that she and her family decided to go to the Shah Alam police station to get more information about the incident.
“We left the house after Maghrib prayers and arrived at the police station around 9pm.
“Then, his siblings went to the Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang to undergo a DNA test to confirm his identity. Meanwhile, I was required to provide information regarding any pre-existing injuries or surgical scars on his body.”
According to Nizatul, Khairil had been a pilot for Datuk Seri Johari Harun, who was also on board the aircraft, since 2017. This time, Khairil had been a passenger.
Johari, who held the portfolio of Local Government, Housing, Environment, and Green Technology in Pahang, was confirmed by the Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia as one of the 10 victims who lost their lives in the aircraft crash.
Meanwhile, Nizatul said there was nothing unusual about her husband’s behaviour before the tragic incident, except for his heightened excitement about boarding the jet.
“This was unusual because he was usually the pilot and not a passenger.”
Nizatul added that before joining Gading Air Services, Khairil had worked as a firefighter.
Khairil leaves behind three sons between the ages of 10 and 14. – August 18, 2023