2 Widows, 1 Tragedy: Families Of Fallen FRU Officers Find Strength In Faith & Family
As the country mourns the nine FRU officers lost in the Teluk Intan crash, their wives are holding on to faith, family, and the memories of the men who served with honour and loved without condition.
Cover image via 
Two women, bound by unimaginable grief, are trying to pick up the pieces after losing their husbands in the tragic crash that killed nine Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel last Tuesday, 13 May
For Norazian Mohd Joned and Nur Aini Samiun, both in Perak, the tragedy has left not just an empty seat at the table, but a heavy silence that now fills their homes. And yet, both women are finding strength in faith, in the memory of their husbands, and in the children who now look to them for everything.
Both women, while navigating very different circumstances, are united by their devotion to the men they loved and the families they built together.
For Norazian, acceptance has come wrapped in faith.
"Maybe this was how Allah wanted to take him."
Norazian, 38, is the widow of Corporal Amiruddin Zabri. Despite the circumstances of the crash, she says she holds no resentment towards the lorry driver, who has been charged with reckless driving causing death.
"We don't blame the driver," she said.
"Maybe that was the only way Allah chose to take him. It was already his time."
Speaking with the media at their family home in Kampung Sungai Itek, Gopeng, Norazian recalled how Amiruddin had once expressed admiration for those whose deaths were mourned by strangers, like the six firemen who drowned during a rescue mission in Puchong in 2018.
"He said we should be envious of them because so many people prayed for them. Maybe he prayed for a death like that… he had said (the firemen) died a good death. So perhaps, in his heart, he wished for something similar," the New Straits Times quoted the widow as saying.
"I told him, 'B', you once said you were envious of those six firemen, but now you've had a death that the whole of Malaysia is [mourning]," she recounted, speaking to her husband's body in the hearse on the journey from Teluk Intan to the FRU Unit 5 headquarters in Ipoh.
The couple has three children, aged 1 to 12. Their eldest, Amirul Firdaus, had asked to lead his father's funeral prayer, a moment that later went viral. Norazian said the decision was entirely his own.
"He wanted to be the one to lead it… for the last time."
Their youngest, Amira Sofea, only a year old, still waits every night for her father's hug. So far, the only word she knows is "bah", short for abah.
Norazian, who works at the Kampar police headquarters, said she's doing her best to remain strong for their children and is committed to fulfilling her late husband's wish to send their son to tahfiz school.
As she continues to cope, Norazian finds strength in old photos and videos of her husband.
"The most heartbreaking is when my youngest calls out to him whenever we play the videos," she said, adding, "Still, I'm taking it day by day. I have to stay strong for the kids."
The wife of the late Corporal Amiruddin Zabri, Norazian Mohd Joned, (centre), along with her sons Amirul Firdaus Amiruddin, 12, (left), and Amirul Asyraf Amiruddin, 11.
Image via Bernama
Image via L Manimaran/New Straits Times
Nur Aini is also learning to navigate life without her husband, and it's a road filled with unanswered questions and quiet heartbreak.
"Even if I cry tears of blood, he won't come back."
In Tanjung Rambutan, Perak Nur Aini, 44, is still trying to come to terms with the loss of her husband, Sergeant Mohd Roslan Abd Rahim.
"I'm getting better. But sometimes, the memories come rushing in, and the sadness follows. Still, I have to stay strong for the kids. No matter how much I cry, even if I cry tears of blood, he won't come back. That's the reality," she said.
Her youngest daughter, 6-year-old Nur Aqeela Rawida, now cries in her sleep every night.
"She asked me, 'Why did the lorry hit Ayah until he died? Who is going to play cooking games with me now?'" said Nur Aini, her voice heavy with grief.
Their eldest son, Muhd Raqin Najmi, 13, lives with Down syndrome. The middle child, Muhd Rizqi Nazhan, 9, has grown quiet since his father's death. It's a lot for any parent to carry, especially alone.
Nur Aini, a full-time homemaker, said Roslan was not just her partner but also her anchor, the one who handled all financial responsibilities while she focused on raising their children.
"My husband was very close to them. If I was busy, he'd step in straight away. Now, I have to do everything on my own."
Unlike Norazian though, Nur Aini said she isn't ready to forgive the company responsible for the lorry.
"What are they apologising for? They didn't even care about their driver. How can they talk about taking responsibility now?"
Despite the pain, she remains focused on her children's future. She plans to stay in their current home to ensure their schooling continues uninterrupted.
"InshaAllah, I'll stay here. The kids have exams coming. I have to stay strong. I've asked my parents to come stay with us for a while; we're trying to rebuild."
Image via L Manimaran/New Straits Times
Image via Malay Mail
Both families were visited by the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) under its 'Ziarah Kasih' outreach programme
Norazian received RM4,000 in takaful and death benefits under Amiruddin's Simpan SSPN Prime account, one he had opened just days before the tragedy.
Nur Aini's children are eligible for benefits amounting to RM193,000 through their father's savings under Simpan SSPN Prime and Plus.
PTPTN representatives said the assistance is meant to ease the families' burdens and help ensure the children's education continues, reported Bernama.
