A quieter Raya for widow of fallen FRU officer

2026-03-19 - 23:40

Nur Aini Samiun makes it a point to keep the memory of her late husband alive for their three children. (Bernama pic) IPOH: As Syawal arrives, Nur Aini Samiun finds herself greeting a very different Aidilfitri. Her home, once filled with twinkling lights, laughter and the comforting aroma of festive dishes, now feels painfully quiet. This will be her first Raya without her husband, Sgt Mohd Roslan Abd Rahim, who was among nine Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel killed in a road accident on May 13 last year. The crash along Jalan Chikus–Sungai Lampam near Teluk Intan claimed the lives of members of FRU Unit 5 from Sungai Senam after their vehicle was hit by a gravel-laden lorry. For Nur Aini, 45, the loss has left an absence that is felt every day, especially by their three children – Raqin Najmi, 14, Rizqi Nazhan, 10, and Nur Aqeela Rawida, seven. “For the children, Raya is still Raya. I carry on as usual, nothing less,” she told Bernama quietly. “But deep down, it no longer feels the same.” She admits she has little desire to celebrate this year. “It’s very different. There is definitely something missing,” she said when met at her home in Taman Kinding Jaya. During their 15 years of marriage, she was always the one planning for Raya – buying clothes, preparing the house – while her husband helped wherever he could. Now, the weight of it all rests on her shoulders. “Everything feels heavier because I have to do it alone,” she said. Sometimes, the reality of their loss comes through in the words of their youngest child. “She once said, ‘If Father were here, Mother wouldn’t have to do everything.’ Those words stay with me.” Her daughter also asks questions that are harder still. “She keeps asking why the lorry hit her father. I don’t know how to answer that,” Nur Aini confided. Sgt Mohd Roslan Abd Rahim was among nine FRU personnel killed in a collision with a lorry on May 13 last year. (JBPM pic) Even so, she tries her best to keep her children from being consumed by grief, making it a point to keep their father’s memory alive, sharing stories about him every day and visiting his grave regularly. “I tell them what kind of person he was, what he used to do. I don’t want them to forget,” she said. “I visit his grave every week, usually on Mondays after sending the children to school. I take some time to see him.” Nearly 10 months on, she admits there are still moments that weigh heavily on her heart. She has yet to even dream of her late husband. Still, Nur Aini presses on. Her own excitement may have faded, but for the sake of her three children, she is determined to keep the spirit of the festive season alive. Because for them, Raya must go on, even if it now carries a quiet, aching absence.