A 55-year-old woman was just weeks away from fulfilling her long-awaited dream of performing the Hajj in Makkah when she died in a tragic workplace accident.
The woman, a watergate operator with the Sabak Bernam District Irrigation and Drainage Department, died after her headscarf became caught in the rotating shaft of a watergate opening mechanism while she was carrying out her duties.
Husband missed her by just two night shifts
Her husband, 63-year-old Bashar Maslan, said he had been working night shifts for two consecutive days and did not get the chance to see his wife before the tragedy.
Speaking to Harian Metro at the mortuary of Tengku Ampuan Jemaah Hospital in Sabak Bernam, Bashar said he was asleep at home when his son-in-law called to inform him about the incident.
He immediately rushed to the scene.
“When I arrived, I went to the watergate and found that my wife had already passed away. All I could do was wait for the police and ambulance to arrive,” he said.
She had been a watergate operator for 21 years
Bashar said his wife was on duty when the incident happened and was reportedly closing the watergate due to the rising tide.
Their second child was also at the scene at the time.
He recalled speaking to his wife earlier that morning after returning from work. She told him she was having a drink with their child and planned to go to the market before visiting someone and eventually heading to the watergate for work.
He later tried calling her several times, but there was no answer.
“I never thought her life would end so suddenly. Perhaps Allah loved her more,” he said.
Her Hajj dream was finally within reach
Bashar said his wife had worked as a watergate operator for 21 years and had always dreamed of performing the Hajj.
She was reportedly waiting for confirmation of her departure when the tragedy happened.
“She showed no signs of anything unusual. Everything was normal. Whenever I called her, she would always answer,” he said.
He described her as kind, generous and always willing to help others, saying she could not bear to see people suffering.
She had also planned to attend a bread-making course at a factory in Sekinchan, another plan she will never get to fulfil.
Laid to rest after post-mortem
The woman was buried at the Kampung Bagan Terap Muslim Cemetery yesterday after the post-mortem was completed at around 9am.
Sabak Bernam district police chief Superintendent Yusof Ahmad said police received a report about the incident at around 4pm.
The case is currently being investigated as a sudden death case.
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