Tears flow as Penang boy, 10, laid to rest after choking on gummy

KEPALA BATAS, Feb 21 — A 10-year-old boy who died after choking on gummy candy was laid to rest this afternoon at the Masjid Jamek Permatang Binjai Muslim cemetery in Penaga at around 3.20 pm.

The funeral prayer was performed at 2.45 pm, and more than 150 mourners, including his family members, teachers, friends, and locals, accompanied Mohammad Fahmi Hafiz Mohammad Fakhruddin, the eldest of two siblings, to his final resting place.

Earlier, the boy’s body, which had been brought back from the Forensic Department of Penang Hospital, arrived at the home of his paternal grandmother, Siti Amin Ismail, at around 2.20 pm.

Speaking after the burial, Mohammad Fakhruddin Mohamad Fikri, 35, said his son had never purchased or consumed gummy candy before the incident.

Despite their grief, the family chose not to assign blame to anyone, including the candy vendor and accepted the tragic loss as fate.

“He had never bought or eaten candy like that. It’s possible he followed his friends without knowing the risks, but we don’t want to blame anyone.

“We see this as a test and we hope this serves as a reminder for parents to be more vigilant about what their children buy and eat,” he added.

Mohammad Fahmi Hafiz, a student at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Dua in Butterworth, was in critical condition after choking on gummy candy that he had purchased before attending his Quran and Fardu Ain (KAFA) class at 2.30 pm on Tuesday.

He passed away while receiving treatment in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Penang Hospital around 11 pm last night. — Bernama