KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 20 — The mother of Nurhidayah A. Ghani who was murdered by the latter’s violent husband still finds it hard to cook her favourite dishes, the court was told today.
Nurhidayah’s elder sister Umi Kalsom read out in court the devastating effects of the 2013 murder on the family, noting that their mother is always crying after losing her child to fatal domestic abuse inflicted by the latter’s spouse Jamaluddin Ali.
“My mother actually can accept the loss of a child if her child died of illness. But it’s really difficult for my mother to accept that Hidayah was murdered so cruelly by her violent husband,” she said.
She also shared how her mother was sad that she could not caress and give a final greeting to Nurhidayah before her death, adding that the mother had washed the latter’s bruised body for burial preparations.
“When my mother closes her eyes, my mother still remembers the bruised face and body of Hidayah. It’s still difficult for my mother to cook Hidayah’s favourite food, because my mother will recall that traumatic incident,” she said, adding that her mother experienced depression and was given medication by a psychiatrist to help her cope.
Both Umi Kalsom and her mother only found out that Nurhidayah had died after they were asked to go to the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre on May 17, 2013, where Nurhidayah had been sent.
“Doctor also informed that the injuries on her body is so serious, until it damaged her internal organs. Doctor said he had never seen such serious injuries on a woman’s body,” she said.
At times almost breaking from the emotion, Umi Kalsom was allowed to read out the victim impact statement before the High Court delivered its sentence on Jamaluddin.
Umi Kalsom said Nurhidayah’s four children will now have to grow up without the love and care of a mother, adding that they are now attending boarding school as Nurhidayah’s mother is unable to care for them full-time.
She was concerned that the four children’s emotional development would be negatively affected and that they would be unable to have healthy relationships in the future, with one of them already refusing to marry in the future to avoid suffering the same fate as the mother and expressing a desire to change the family’s name. This child also does not want to befriend those who share the same name as the father: “Din”.
The eldest child has also taken to verbally abusing others, hitting the wall with the head, beating and stepping on the limbs of siblings, she said.
Umi Kalsom said that the family was tired out by the three-year long murder trial, noting that they were angry and in disbelief that Jamaluddin had refused to acknowledge responsibility over his actions and even disparaged Nurhidayah during the trial.
“If Jamaluddin admits and repents, we can forgive him and move on with our lives. That is actually our wish. But because this has happened, it’s really hard for us to move on, we feel there’s no closure to this,” she said, concluding that the family has no objections to the death sentence being meted out.
Umi Kalsom also shared the family’s hopes that other victims of domestic abuse will not suffer the same fate as Nurhidayah — who had over the years lodged at least 10 police reports over domestic abuse by her husband.
“Our hopes are for the relevant authorities to take the necessary action when receiving reports filed by the family of victims in domestic abuse cases, without waiting for victims themselves to lodge police reports. This is to prevent the lives of women and children from being sacrificed due to domestic violence,” she said.
High Court judge Amelia Tee Hong Geok Abdullah had this morning found Jamaluddin guilty of murdering Nurhidayah, and finally sentenced him to the mandatory death sentence by hanging.
Jamaluddin was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code of murdering and causing his wife’s death between the period of 9pm on May 15, 2013 to 9pm on May 17.
According to Women’s Aid Organisation, Jamaluddin had physically and psychologically abused Nurhidayah for over a decade since 2003, giving examples of his violent acts such as repeatedly banging her head into the wall, hitting her with a helmet and fishing rod and attempting to strangle her.
“We must realise that domestic violence is not a personal family matter, but a devastating crime that can rip families apart and cost women their lives,” it said, adding that those who know of someone experiencing abuse can call the WAO hotline at 03-79563488 or send a text message to 018-9888058.
When met outside the courtroom, Umi Kalsom said: “Gratitude to Allah, our family’s wait for over three years has finally been answered. Truly grateful that he has received the retribution that he should receive.”
Umi Kalsom’s mother, meanwhile, said she had found the whole situation traumatic and spoke of how she wanted her four grandchildren to still have a good relationship with Jamaluddin’s family and not hold grudges, but indicated that this has not been possible.
