Nazirah Bibi, 68, said her youngest daughter had told a family ustaz recently that in the event she died, she wanted to be buried next to her late father and brother.

“She said that to our family friend, who is an ustaz, just two weeks ago. And now, she is gone,” she said when met by reporters at her home in Jelutong here today.

Surinder, 37, died on Monday after suffering brain injuries following an assault. She was in the spotlight after several parties disputed the status of her religion after news filtered out that there were no documents proving she was a Muslim.

She was buried at a Jelutong mosque cemetery next to her late father, Kirpal Singh @ Mohamad Qurban Ali, and her late brother, Narinder Singh @ Irfan Khan.

Nazirah said Surinder, her youngest daughter out of six children, was a practising Muslim but had never had her religion changed on her identity card or informed the Muslim authorities.

Nazirah said Surinder converted to Islam 20 years ago when her late husband did the same. She said weeks later, the rest of the family also converted.

Qurban died at the age of 57 in 2007.

“Kogee was just like us, she has said the kalimah shahadah many times by heart,” Nazirah said, referring to Surinder’s nickname.

Family friend Hamidah Begum, 45, said Surinder was her childhood friend and had identified herself as a Muslim since young.

‘She never came back for two days’

Nazirah said Surinder was a cosmetic salesperson and worked at a food court in Prangin Mall.

She said Surinder lived with her at her flat and was the sole breadwinner of the family. “She was doing well and had a long way to go,” she said before breaking into tears.

Nazirah said just two days before her death, she did not return home.

She said the 55-year-old man alleged to have beaten her daughter to death with a crash helmet was a “friend of the family”. She said she had considered him as an “anak angkat” (adopted son).

Nazirah said the man was an odd job worker and had previously done some renovations to their home.

She dismissed news reports claiming that the man was Surinder’s boyfriend.

“They knew each other, that is all. She was never close to the man and never even liked him. How is he then her boyfriend?”

She said Surinder was seen with the man at his home by his friend at Kampung Pisang Awak in Jelutong. But when her brother tried searching for her, she could not be found.

She said the man had asked money from Surinder before and felt the man could have held her captive.

“I hope justice will prevail. She was a good person and did not deserve to die.”

Surinder’s brother, Imran Khan, 47, said he has lodged three police reports over “nasty comments” disputing his sister’s religion.

Surinder was found lying unconscious on the ground along Persiaran Bayan Indah after an argument on Saturday night. She died in hospital on Monday.