KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 ― The fire tragedy involving Pusat Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah in Jalan Keramat Ujung here this morning which claimed the lives of 23 people including two teachers is not the worst as a bigger case happened 28 years ago.

On the morning of September 22, 1989, a Friday, a fire ripped through Sekolah Agama Rakyat Taufiqiah Al-Khairiah Al-Halimiah or better known as "Pondok Pak Ya” in Kampung Padang Lumut, Yan, Kedah.

Twenty-seven female students perished in the blaze which razed eight hostels at the school.

The girls, aged 13 to 18, were fast asleep when the fire broke out. Investigations later found that a lit candle that was not put out after some of the girls had used the light from it to study had toppled onto a mattress and started the conflagration,

This led to questions on the use of polyurethane foam mattresses as most of the bodies were found on burnt out mattresses or near them.

The victims were buried in a special grave named "27 Syuhada Peristiwa Kebakaran Pondok Pak Ya”, nearby in their memory.

Documentaries and telefilms on the tragedy were produced. In 2011, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) ran a 30-minute documentary titled Pondok Pak Ya, Kedah that was produced by acclaimed producer Ramlee  Johari who told the story of the school before and after the tragedy.

Pay TV station Astro also ran a telefilem titled Pondok Pak Ya directed by Wan Hasliza in 2014 on what really happened that tragic day. ― Bernama