KUALA SELANGOR: The drowning of five members of a family from Bandar Puncak Alam near here has shocked residents in the housing estate.
The head of the family of five that drowned in the tragedy is described as a familiar face, and a pillar of society in the Bandar Puncak Alam community, here.
Surau Al-Furqan head imam Mohd Halim Samian's tragic passing came as a shock to the community, said his neighbour Muhamad Razhe Mohamad, 50.
"He is a highly respected man in our community. He and his wife Nurul Adilah Awang were active members in our surau.
"Halim was not only the head imam, he was also a marriage official (jurunikah) and the president of the Parent-Teacher Association of Sekolah Menengah Puncak Alam," said Razhe.
Razhe said the last time he saw Halim, 44, was last Wednesday when Halim cooked his signature dish 'Nasi Arab Kambing' (Mutton Mandi Rice) for a tahfiz (quran memorisation) programme at Surau Al-Furqan.
"I was rushing off to a biking programme when I heard Halim calling my name. He insisted that I eat before I leave. Halim was a generous man and he often cooked for us during the fasting month.
"He has contributed a lot to the community and his passing is a huge loss for us in Puncak Alam," he said when met yesterday.
Razhe said, Halim, who makes a living as contractor had returned to his wife's hometown at Bukit Tunggal in Kuala Nerus for the weekend and was supposed to return home today to solemnise a marriage.
Halim and his family went for an outing at Belukar Bukit waterfall in Hulu Terengganu at 10.30am today and he was in the water with his wife Adilah, 39, daughters Nurul Arifah, 16, Nurul Hidayah Aina, 11, and Nurul Izzah, 10, when a sudden rapid current above the waterfall brought down a huge column of water and swept the five away.
His youngest son, Mohd Hasif, 9, was the sole survivor in the family of six as he was not in the water the water column, known colloquially as the 'Kepala Air' struck.
