MELAKA: Two young siblings who tragically lost their parents and other family members in a deadly accident on the North-South Expressway have received financial support from a government minister. The incident, which occurred at Kilometer 204 of the highway on December 23, left the children injured and orphaned, prompting Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, to step in and assist the family.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohd Na’im visited the surviving siblings, Muhammad Uwais Al-Qarni Khairul Ikhwan, 7, and Nur Sofea Humaira, 4, at their grandparents’ home, where he offered aid totaling RM6,900. The children, who sustained serious thigh injuries in the crash and underwent surgery at Melaka Hospital on December 25, are now under the care of their paternal grandparents.
The financial assistance provided includes RM4,800 from the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation’s (YAPEIM) Sinar Kasih aid, offering RM200 monthly for a year for each child, along with an additional RM2,000 in disaster aid and a YAPEIM Foodbank set valued at RM100. Mohd Na’im expressed his hope that the aid would alleviate the burden on the children’s grandfather, retired senior police officer Datuk Mazupi Abdul Rahman, who is now responsible for their upbringing.
During a press briefing, Mohd Na’im emphasized the importance of supporting the family and wished Mazupi the strength to fulfill his new responsibilities. YAPEIM’s chief executive officer and director-general, Ameer Ali Vali Mohamed, was also present during the minister’s visit.
The tragic accident claimed the lives of five family members, including the children’s parents, Khairul Ikhwan Mazupi, 32, and Fadzlenna Ramli, 32, their younger brother Muhammad Umar, 2, and their grandparents, Ramli Ab Wahab, 66, and Fauziah Jaafar, 69. Mazupi expressed gratitude for the community’s support and the care provided by the medical staff, noting the emotional challenge of informing the children about their family’s passing. He assured them that a visit to their relatives’ graves would take place once they have fully recovered.