Unemployed Khairunnisaa’ Khairuddin, 33; teacher Mazzaini Muda, 48; Rien Erliana Marjuni, 50, who is a clerk at the Indonesian Embassy; and Emmi Farizah Abd Aziz, 38, a cashier at Jakel Trading were asked to identify the pictures taken when the children were alive.
Khairunnisaa lost her six-year-old son, Umar Al- Khattab, in the fire, while Mazzaini, her 13-year-old son Ahmad Rijal Mohammad Rodzi. Rien Erliana lost her son, Muhammad Taufiq Hidayat, 16, while Emmi Farizah lost two sons, Azkar Abidi, 11, and Azkar Darimi, 8.
During re-examination by deputy public prosecutor Nurakmal Farhan Aziz, the four women were called separately into the courtroom and shown pictures of their sons.
They were calm at first but were lost for words soon after looking at the pictures and began wiping away tears.
Questioned by Nurakmal when she came to know about the fire at the tahfiz centre, Khairunnisaa said she was informed by her husband’s friend, whose son was also a student at the centre, at 6.30am on Sept 14, 2017.
Mazzaini said she came to know about it after reading a message in a WhatsApp group formed for parents of students at the centre.
Rien said she knew about it from her oldest son, who was watching the TV3 news bulletin at 7am.
Emmi said she got the news from her sister, who also sent her son to the same tahfiz centre.
The four women said after knowing about the fire, they went to the centre and were asked to go to the Forensic Department at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital to identify the bodies and give their blood samples.
Two boys, who were then aged 16, are jointly charged with the murder and causing the death of the 23 people at the Pusat Tahfiz Darul Ittifaqiyah on Jalan Keramat Hujung, Kampung Datuk Keramat here, between 4.15am and 6.45am on Sept 14, 2017.
They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same law, and face the mandatory death sentence, if found guilty.
However, Section 97(1) of the Child Act 2001 states that a death sentence shall not be pronounced or recorded against a person convicted of an offence if the child is under the age of 18. In lieu of the death sentence, as provided under Section 97 (2) of the same law, the court shall order the person to be detained at the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
The hearing before judge Azman Abdullah continues on Friday.