However, their joy turned to anxiety when Rahimi’s wife, Norazila Wahid, 39, called to say his situation was “critical” and he would have to undergo another round of surgery.

Norazila told the family that Rahimi underwent surgery today to remove a bullet from his abdomen.

She said doctors found another bullet lodged near his spine and would carry out a second operation tomorrow.

Rahimi, the third of five siblings, left for New Zealand four years ago to be a technician at a milk factory. Norazila is studying medicine.

They have two children – a son aged 11 and a daughter aged nine.

Recalling how she heard about the mass shooting, Rahimi’s mother, Rokiah Mohammad, 65, said she was at her neighbour’s house at Kampung Binjai in Bayan Lepas, attending a Quran recital class.

After watching the breaking news on TV, she called Norazila but there was no reply.

She said Rahimi used to go to a mosque near his house and it was “definitely the same mosque on TV”.

“I had a feeling that he would be there for Friday prayers. I became very worried. Nobody was telling me anything,” she told reporters before breaking into tears.

Clutching a picture of her son, Rokiah said Rahimi is a jovial person and often kept in touch with family members in Penang.

She said Rahimi told her he wanted to return next year to renovate their kampung house.

State executive councillor Phee Boon Poh and assemblyman Azrul Mahathir are arranging for Rokiah and Rahimi’s brother Roshidi, 42, to leave for New Zealand.

At least two other Malaysians were injured in the shootings. A Wisma Putra source identified them as Tarmizi Shuid and Mohd Nazril Omar.

The status of a fourth Malaysian, who was also believed to be in one of the two mosques, is unknown. He was identified as Haziq Tarmizi.

Latest reports said the shootings left 49 dead and 48 injured.