KUANTAN: The three-year-old girl who went missing during an Aidilfitri feast at two raft houses in Bukit Rangin here last night was said to be very active and happy at the presence of the large number of guests.
Her father Mohamad Sukri Ali, 50, said Siti Nur Athhiyya Soffea, his only child from his second marriage, more fondly called Atia by the family, also did not indulge in her evening sleep as usual.
Instead, he said she adamantly wanted to follow him to buy and fetch items for the open house that evening from 8 pm.
Besides Atia, Mohamad Sukri has three other daughters, aged from 22 to 26 years, from his previous marriage.
“Before the incident, adik (Atia) sat on my lap in the living room in the middle section of one of the raft houses.
“Every now and then, she would look for her mother, but would return to me because her drinking cup was with me.
“The last time I saw adik was when she entered a room in the raft house with my four-year-old granddaughter to play with a handphone around 11 pm,” he told reporters when met at the raft houses here today.
Nevertheless, Mohamad Sukri said his instincts told him that Atia did not fall into the river as she was familiar with his two raft houses which had fences.
They moved to the houses since early this year after their original house which was sited on the river bank was washed away by strong currents in the big floods in Pahang early this year.
According to Mohamad Sukri, the raft houses were built gradually starting from 2020 after he stopped selling food and drinks at the Sixth Mile here and rented them out to anglers.
“Despite living by the river bank, adik had never played in the river...she would insist on waiting for me or her mother if she wanted to go to the raft houses (from the riverbank).
“At the raft houses too, she had never climbed the fences, which makes it difficult for me accept that she had fallen into the river.
“But I am prepared for all possibilities. This is a test for my family and our hope is that adik is found,” he said.
The police today confirmed receiving a report on the disappearance of the girl who was allegedly last seen last night at 11.15 pm.
The case has been classified as a missing person case so far because nobody saw the child falling into the river.
Nevertheless, investigation is being conducted from every angle while a Search and Rescue (SAR) has been activated.
The SAR, which was also participated by the Fire and Rescue Department, is being conducted in the river and river bank areas, taking into account the possibility the victim had fallen into the river. - Bernama
