POKOK SENA: Sergeant Faridah Abd Rahman, a non-commissioned officer with the Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt), who died after collapsing at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) base in Marakah, was laid to rest next to her brother's grave at the Masjid Al-Anwar Muslim cemetery in Kampung Tengah, Pokok Sena, here today.
The remains of the 39-year-old officer arrived at the mosque at 9am accompanied by Commander of the Royal Malaysian Air Force Joint Force Lieutenant General Datuk Noor Mohamad Akmar Mohd Dom from the RMAF training College in Kepala Batas, Alor Star at 8.10am.
The funeral prayer was led by Armed Forces Religious Corps (Kagat) deputy director-general (Policy and Management) Brigadier General Mohd Hamzah Adam at 9.41am.
Faridah's mother, Salmah Hassan, 57, and husband Noor Azmi Ariffin, 39, was seen sobbing at the mosque's compound with other family members, friends, and colleagues.
Yesterday, her body arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 9.50pm following a post-mortem examination completed at the Hammoud Hospital, Saida, Lebanon, on May 19, at about 2.54pm local time.
More than 500 people including Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), RMAF and army personnel were at the mosque to perform funeral prayers, before Faridah was buried according to military funeral ceremony customs.
Funeral proceedings concluded at 10.20am.
Faridah was buried next to the grave of her brother, Muhammad Farihan, who died in 2013, from complications from asthma.
Faridah had just arrived from leave in Malaysia and had alighted from the bus which brought her back to the Marakah Camp when she collapsed at about 2.25am (7.25am Malaysia).
She began her service with the armed forces by joining the army in 2007 and was assigned to Kagat.
Prior to being selected for Malbatt 850-11, Faridah was the senior supervisor for Islamic affairs for the Royal Malay Regiment's 19th Battalion (Mechanised) in Sungai Petani.
Faridah is survived by her husband and four children, namely Nurul Syifa, 13, Muhammad Afnan, 10, Nurul Jannah, 8, and Ainul Mardiah, 4.
