TUMPAT: The death of a 35-year-old civil servant might have been prevented, her brother-in-law said, recalling how he had advised the couple to resolve their differences peacefully and urged the victim's husband to stay away from drugs.
Kamarulzaman Ibrahim, 59, a former lecturer, said he was devastated by the death of his sister-in-law, Norhazwani Ibrahim, who was allegedly stabbed to death by her husband at their home in the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) quarters in Nilai last night.
"I advised them to avoid fighting and told the suspect not to do anything that could land him in trouble with the law.
"I also told him that drugs are the root of many problems. They can lead to theft and other offences, destroy a person's life and jeopardise a family's future.
"I warned him not to get involved with drugs again, as they can also harm society," he said when met today.
He said he was driving to Machang to pick up his child when his wife called to inform him of the incident.
"I immediately returned to Tumpat after learning what had happened. I could not believe the news," he said.
The tragedy has left the family grieving over Norhazwani's death while worrying about the future of her two daughters, aged five and six.
Kamarulzaman said the victim's sister would care for the girls, adding that the family would do its best to ensure they received the support they needed to grow up without their mother.
He said the incident had reinforced his concerns about the devastating effects of drug abuse and the need to address family problems before they escalated.
"I feel this incident could have been avoided," he said.
Norhazwani, who had served as a Customs officer before being transferred to the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency, was reportedly in the process of divorcing her husband.
The suspect surrendered to police after the incident and has been remanded for seven days to assist investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
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