KUALA LUMPUR: Anas Muhammad Farihin put up a brave front last night when he needed to go on air and read the news about the discovery of his good friend's body.
The 25-year-old newscaster from Radio Televisyen Malaysia was holding back his emotions as he relayed the news about Nur Farah Kartini Abdullah.
Despite being shocked at what he had learnt, he needed to remain calm and composed as he did his job.
"It was my turn to read the news yesterday. When I found out about it around 9pm I was taken aback for a moment.
"I had mixed emotions because I was torn between believing it and not and this kept on until the police released a statement confirming what had happened," he told Harian Metro.
Anas said although he was overwhelmed grief and shock, he needed to hold it all in as the cameras were rolling.
"I needed to keep my emotions in check and control my facial expressions, especially since I was one of the first to know about the news.
"During the time of Faa's (Nur Farah Kartini) disappearance, my friends from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) and I conducted an online tahlil (prayer) session.
"We never expected the search to end in such a tragic way," said Anas, who described Nur Farah Kartini as a kind soul.
When talking about how his friendship with her began, he said they were involved in many similar activities in UPSI.
"We started being friends while studying. For three years, we were in the same team when conducting the new student orientation week programme.
"Although I was her senior, we were the same age. She was a kind and polite person who always smiled.
"She was active in associations at the university, and we often worked together," he said.
Nur Farah Kartini, had been missing since July 10 after delivering a rental car to a customer. Her body was found in Hulu Selangor yesterday, and the case has been classified as murder.
A 26-year-old acquaintance, who led investigators to her body at an oil palm estate in Hulu Selangor yesterday, has been arrested to facilitate the investigation.
