PETALING JAYA, March 11 — When Nur Hamidah Nadjib was old enough to understand, her parents told her the story of how she and her mother, Umi Rosyidah Khoiruman, survived the horrific Highland Towers collapse.

She had often been dubbed the “miracle toddler” who escaped while so many others died.

Since then, the two sole survivors and Nur Hamidah’s father, Nadjib Mustakar, have harboured hopes of meeting those who pulled them out of the carnage.

This dream seems closer now that a connection has been made.

Nur Hamidah

The tragedy left a great impact on Nur Hamidah, also known as Midah. Using that as a compass, the 23-year-old is now a qualified midwife at a health clinic in Paciran Lamongan, East Java.

“I have always liked the health sector. In addition to that, knowing I survived the Highland Towers incident led me to pursue a career in nursing,” she said.

“I want to help people. Being a midwife allows me to help women deliver their babies.”

She married Zahroni Ahda Pratama, 26, last December.

They live with her sister, Iftitahun Nabilah, and Umi Rosyidah.

She had told her husband about surviving the tragedy when they were courting, and he is now surprised at the amount of publicity she is getting.

“He is happy for me,” she said.

“I am just so grateful I have been able to contact Bapa Norizan. I thanked him for rescuing me and told him I cannot wait to meet him.”

Norizan Saad is now Fire and Rescue Department corporate communication division senior superintendent II.

Nur Hamidah was 14 months old when she was pulled from the rubble along with her mother.

“My parents told me what happened when I was old enough. I then went on YouTube to find videos of it,” she said.

“I couldn’t stop crying when I saw the footage. I was just so grateful to be alive.”

She said they tried to locate Norizan from time to time but did not succeed in finding the firefighter.

“I have been looking for him for more than 10 years,” she said.

She also said her mother was still traumatised by the incident and was afraid to enter tall buildings.

“She gets frightened when she hears loud noises,” Nur Hamidah said.

Umi Rosyidah

The woman, who has never returned to Malaysia after the traumatic experience, is now entertaining thoughts of doing so ... just to be able to meet her rescuers.

Besides Norizan, she also wants to meet retired senior police officer Tan Sri Zaman Khan and another firefighter, Dzulkifli Mohammad.

“I still remember what happened that day. I had just finished feeding Midah porridge and was in the kitchen when I saw trees and the hill collapsing,” she recalled.

“I ran into the living room and grabbed my daughter. The building collapsed before I could open the door to reach the lift.”

Umi Rosyidah, 44, said she was knocked unconscious, adding that her surroundings were completely dark when she awoke.

“My daughter was crying and I breastfed her. Later, I found a stick and poked it upwards through a gap,” she recalled.

“Then, there was someone who called out, ‘Hello. Is anyone there?’ I answered I was there with my child.”

She said the rescuers then told her to duck while they removed the rubble above them.

Umi Rosyidah said she could hear cries for help the entire time.

“I also heard the Japanese survivor (who later died) calling out for help,” she said.

Umi Rosyidah was staying with her former employer, Susan, at the time and helped keep house.

Susan also let Nadjib and Nur Hamidah stay at the condo.

“I still keep in touch with her sometimes. She says she misses me,” she said, adding Susan was away at work when the building collapsed.

Umi Rosyidah now runs a boutique in her hometown.

“I am thankful every day that Allah protected my daughter and I that day,” she said.

Nadjib

He has worked for the construction industry in Malaysia for decades and goes back about twice a year to visit his family.

“I have been with the same employer all this time. He is good to me. He even came to Indonesia for Midah’s wedding. He is like family,” Nadjib said.

“I continue working in Malaysia because the pay is better.”

The 53-year-old recalled he was not at home when the tower collapsed and was informed about it at work.

“I fainted when I arrived and saw the rubble. When I came to, I asked the rescuers about my daughter and wife. They asked me which floor they lived on and what were their names. I told them they were on the seventh floor,” he said.

“They told me both were alive and had been taken to KL Hospital.”

Nadjib remembers breaking down in tears when he was reunited with them.

“I couldn’t stop crying when I saw they were okay. Midah was not hurt at all,” he said.

“My wife’s leg was injured and she stayed in hospital for about a week. For the next 40 days or so, she kept waking up at night. I would ask her, ‘Why sayang? Are you still remembering the tragedy?’ And she would say yes.”

Nadjib said he had tried to find Norizan by speaking to a journalist but the story was not published.

“But now, I have managed to talk to him and told him about Midah,” he said.

“We cannot wait to see him. I am thankful to Norizan for saving my daughter.”

He said his entire family wanted to meet the rescuers but they needed to first obtain a passport for Nur Hamidah.