Victoria Bridge incident: Father speaks on losing youngest son a year after eldest daughter

KLUANG, Sept 3 — A year after losing their eldest daughter, a family in Kluang is once again devastated after their youngest son died following a fall from Victoria Bridge in Enggor, Kuala Kangsar, Perak, on Monday. The victim's father, Abd Halim, 42, shared that his eldest daughter passed away last year after a four-month illness with an undiagnosable cause.

The family was coping with this loss when Abdul Rafee, three, also died in the recent incident. Abd Halim recounted that his eldest daughter was bedridden for about four months before her passing, with doctors unable to determine the illness. The father stated they had chosen to visit Perak during the National Day holiday as they hadn't gone on a holiday together in over a year.

Abdul Rafee was excited about the trip, known for his cheerful nature and ability to bring happiness to his family. His favorite food was chicken rice, which he had only eaten with soup until a few days before the incident when he requested chicken. Abd Halim described the scene on Victoria Bridge, where he checked the bridge's condition before taking Abdul Rafee for a walk.

Tragically, the boy slipped on a rotten piece of wood, causing his hand to detach from his father's grasp and leading to his fall. Abd Halim appealed for understanding, asserting that he and his wife had done their best to ensure their children's safety and requested regular inspections and maintenance of old structures to prevent similar accidents.

Abdul Rafee was buried at Kampung Baru Muslim Cemetery at 1 am on Tuesday. The following day, the Kuala Kangsar Municipal Council (MPKK) closed public access to the Victoria Bridge's iron structure as a precautionary measure.