YAN: A close colleague of the the late Petty Officer TNL Noor Rahiza Anuar was devastated to find out about her death alongside 10 other Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) officers.
Petty Officer TNL Anis Amirah Zolkifli said she received the news through a phone call, which felt like a nightmare.
Anis, 37, remembered Rahiza often shared her dream of flying in a helicopter.
"Before we parted ways to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri, she hugged and kissed me. That's my last memory of her.
"She didn't even mention she was going to fly in that helicopter. She was quiet. If she had told me, I would have definitely advised her against it.
"But she always expressed her dream of flying in a helicopter to us (fellow comrades)," she said at Rahiza's funeral in Masjid Nyak Gam, Kampung Ruat, here yesterday.
Anis, who previously served in the same unit with Rahiza in Kuantan, described Rahiza as a true friend, always ready to assist others.
"She was the best, she loves helping others. She was like family to me. We've known each other since 2010, serving together in Kuantan until we were reassigned to different units.
"She gave me a call during the Hari Raya holidays. She wanted to invite me over to have a meal on the seventh day of Hari Raya. It never happened because I couldn't come over. I didn't get the chance," she said while weeping.
Anis said the only solace amidst the tragedy was that Rahiza received a fitting tribute at her funeral.
"It feels like an neverending nightmare. I saw her (Rahiza's body) just now, and thankfully her body is intact."
Yesterday, Rahiza was laid to rest near her late mother, Ratipa Yahaya's grave at the Haji Nyak Gam Mosque's Muslim cemetery according to military funeral ceremony customs.
First Admiral Azhar Adam presented the Jalur Gemilang to Rahiza's husband, Chief Petty Officer Mohd Azinor Azizan as the funeral concluded at 9.55pm.
In the incident, two armed forces helicopters crashed following a mid-air collision in Lumut, Perak.
All 10 crew members perished in the crash.
The helicopter, an Agusta Westland AW139 Maritime Operations Helicopter (HOM) and a Eurocopter Fennec, had collided during a mid-air manoeuvre during a flypast training for the RMN's 90th-anniversary celebrations.
Following the mid-air collision, the AW139 HOM helicopter crashed at the steps of the Navy Stadium while the Fennec crashed near the pool of the Navy Sports Complex.