CLOSURE OF A TRAGIC CHAPTER: Ying Qi’s body arrives at the Sarawak General Hospital.
KUCHING: The body of Kho Ying Qi, the Upper 6 student who was swept away during a flash flood in the city on Jan 5, was found yesterday in Muara Tebas, bringing an end to a 16-day search, which was closely followed by the public.
The discovery was made around 9.30am by a group of women from Kampung Goebilt while searching for river snails along the bank of the Sarawak River next to a coal-powered plant owned by Sejingkat Power Corporation milesdownstream from the spot where she fell into the drain.
The body of the 19-year-old SMK Batu Lintang student was still clad in her school uniform- minus her shoes- and was in a badly-decomposed state when found.
One of the women, whose husband works at the power plant, said she smelled an odour coming from the mangrove trees and decided to take a look, and was shocked to see a body trapped among the roots of one of the trees.
Realising they had most likely stumbled upon the body of the missing student, the women quickly informed a group of auxiliary policemen at the power plant, who in turn notified the police.
District police chief ACP Roslan Bek Ahmad confirmed the recovery when contacted yesterday, saying the girl’s father, Kho Khiew Teck, had positively identified the body as belonging to Ying Qi based on the car key found in her skirt pocket.
The body was subsequently taken to the Sarawak General Hospital mortuary and was received by waiting family members and relatives.
When met, Khiew Teck said he learned of the discovery after receiving a call from the police around 11.30am asking him to identify a body found in Muara Tebas.
Family never gave up hope
He said the family had never given up hope of finding Ying Qi’s body, and thanked everyone who had contributed their time and resources from the day his daughter went missing up to when she was found.
He also said that Ying Qi’s body will be cremated today in Bau.
In a heart wrenching moment for everyone at the hospital, Ying Qi’s mother, Chan Bee Hong, cried as she embraced the brother-in-law of the late Herman Sihas @ Mohd Sulaiman Abdullah, who drowned while trying to save Ying Qi that fateful morning.
The brother-in-law, who turned up at the hospital after being contacted by Khiew Teck, said that he was relieved the Kho family’s ordeal had come to an end, adding that Herman’s mother had been praying everyday for Ying Qi’s body to be found.
He also disclosed that Ying Qi’s father had in fact called him earlier in the morning to arrange for the
two families to meet up after Chinese New Year as Herman’s family are currently back in their village in Lundu.
Ying Qi slipped into the raging water of a swollen monsoon drain at Rock Road and was swept away on the morning of Jan 5.
Herman, a petrol station worker, also drowned when he jumped into the drain together with an off-duty fireman in a failed attempt to rescue the student.
His body was found on Jan 7 at Sungai Maong Ulu and was subsequently buried at the Semariang Muslim Cemetery.
The tragedy had tugged at the heart strings of people from all walks of life, who not only expressed their sympathies to the victims’ families, but also lauded the late Herman for sacrificing his life in trying to save another.
颖齐火化 骨灰撒大海
许颖齐举殡仪式昨早在云南善堂殡仪馆进行，詹师公在场进行法事与诵经。
(本报古晋22日讯)中六女生许颖齐的遗体，于今早9点在单头槤佛教新村进行火化，她的骨灰于今午撒在青山岩外大海里。
今早7点半，许颖齐的灵柩从昔加玛云南善堂殡馆举殡外出，亲友送最后一程，愿她一路好走。
今早，除了颖齐的亲友外，古晋国会议员张健仁律师也到场出席举殡仪式，并慰问她的家人。
此外，人联党峇都林当支部主席薛华东也到场慰问她的家人。
教育厅代表也到场
古晋县副教育厅长比夫阿波也到场出席举殡仪式，除慰问她的家人外，古晋县教育厅也送一个花圈。
7哩的詹师公于较早应邀到场作法事、诵经之后，由展丧事服务组人员扶灵上灵车，首途前往石隆门单头榴槤佛教新村火化场，出殡队伍，素车白马，从昔加玛经峇都林当到火车路直上经7哩转入石隆门路后续程前往佛教新村。
在佛教新村火化场由詹师公例行法事后，众亲友举香柱祭拜后于上午9点进行火化。
中六女生许颖齐于今年1月5日早上7点许，在峇都林当油站前的路旁意外失足跌进水沟后遭洪水急流冲走。
当天，因为古晋倾盆大雨，造成多处低洼地带排水来不及流走而淹水。许颖齐到了学校后，因校园淹水，校方又令学生返家，颖齐便因为开车离校，在峇都林当水患处受困，结果步行到附近的油站之际，意外跌进水沟里而被急流冲走。
搜寻人员及家属费了多天寻找她的下落，奈何一直没有发现。至第17天，才有人在青山岩近处的甘榜戈贝煤发电厂处的砂河河岸的红树林里找到她的遗体。
当时，发电厂员工之家人到上述红树林寻找田螺，意外发现该具女尸，她的遗体稍后由其生父确认是许颖齐，警方也从女死者的裙口袋里发现一把丰田轿车的车匙，从而进一步确认她的身份。
