Wife remembers Sabari for his kind soul

JITRA: The wife of a missing Felcra pensioner, believed to have been thrown into Sungai Padang Terap near here, described her husband as a man of kind soul.

Subhiah Ruslina Shahidi, 57, shared that her husband was always gentle and had never displayed aggression towards anyone, calling the incident that befell him extremely cruel.

“It’s a heartless act to throw a living person into the river… I hope the authorities take the necessary action and impose appropriate punishment on the perpetrators,” she told reporters at the site where the search for her husband was underway at Sungai Padang Terap in Kampung Lubuk Batu on Tuesday (Oct 1).

On Monday (Sept 30), police confirmed Sabari, 62, had been thrown into the river with his hands tied and mouth taped.

Kedah police chief Comm Datuk Fisol Salleh said two local men, aged 26 and 38, were arrested last Friday.

According to Subhiah Ruslina, her husband, a former Felcra staff member, served in several states and was always respected for his kindness, with no one ever discrediting him.

“My husband always spoke kindly, and I remember him advising me not to visit the sinkhole site on Jalan Masjid India because I live in Kuala Lumpur. He said it would be difficult if I got lost, yet it is he who has now gone missing.

“However, I accept this fate. We have prayed for answers, and now we are waiting for the result. After 26 days of waiting, our prayers have been answered, and if he has died, I just hope there is a grave for him,” she said.

Subhiah Ruslina noted that she and her husband married in 2018 and have been in a long-distance relationship since she works at Felcra in Kuala Lumpur. She last contacted her husband by phone on Sept 2.

The search operation for Sabari in Sungai Padang Terap was suspended at 6pm and will resume on Wednesday (Oct 2).- Bernama