“JUST 30 minutes ago I was joking with them, now they’re gone forever,” said Nik Muhammad Hanif Darwis Abdul Qayyum, 19, reflecting on the sudden loss of his three closest friends in a fatal crash along the North-South Expressway earlier today.
The victims — Muhammad Habil Mohd Sobri, Muhammad Fahmi Jamel, and Muhammad Arif Aifan Derani, all aged 19 — were students at the Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara (IKBN) Jitra.
They were travelling home for the Aidiladha holiday when the accident occurred at kilometre 49.4 of the expressway's southbound lane.
Hanif, who studies in the same Advanced Certificate in Mechanical Technology (Welding) programme, said they had completed class earlier than usual at 12.30 pm and returned to the hostel to pack for the break.
“We were still joking around during class. One of them, Arif, even shook my hand and said ‘aku pi dulu na’ (I’ll be off first, yeah), joking while pushing me,” Harian Metro cited him saying at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital Forensics Department.
He said the three friends left for their respective hometowns around 1.30 pm. “I was napping when they left, and by 2.30 pm, I was told they had been involved in a crash — and didn’t survive,” he said.
Hanif shared a particularly close bond with the victims. He roomed with Arif and Fahmi in the hostel, while Habil, though staying on another floor, would often join them to study.
“We slept side by side last night, like usual. They didn’t show any signs that something like this would happen,” he said.
Hanif, who is also returning to Kelantan for the festive break, made a point to see his friends one last time at the hospital. “It’s a deep loss. We weren’t just classmates; we were like brothers — always laughing together,” he said.
He added that he had reminded them to ride their motorcycles carefully — a message that now feels painfully bittersweet.
Families of crash victims to receive RM20,000 Insurance each
The families of three students who perished in a tragic road accident will each receive RM20,000 in insurance compensation.
IKBN Jitra Director Norhazita Kamaludin confirmed the payout and said the institution is extending full assistance to the bereaved families, including funeral arrangements and transport of the remains to their respective hometowns.
“We will ensure that all arrangements are handled smoothly to support the families during this difficult time,” she said in a statement on Friday.
She added that additional contributions were being provided by the senior management of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, along with 21 other training institutes under the ministry’s umbrella.
Norhazita, accompanied by senior staff including Deputy Director for Student Affairs Rauzoh Darus, joined fellow lecturers and students at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital Forensic Department to offer support to the families.
“The senior leadership of IKBN Jitra, together with other students, also accompanied the hearses to the victims’ hometowns to ensure they received a final farewell with dignity and respect from their peers and educators,” she said.
The three students — Muhamad Habil Mohd Sobri of Gurun, Muhammad Fahmi Mohd Jamel of Jeniang, Sik, and Muhamad Arif Aifan Derani of Bukit Selambau, Sungai Petani — died at the scene after the two motorcycles they were riding collided with a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). - June 6, 2025
