SINGAPORE: The 17-year-old Temasek Junior College (TJC) student who died in an accident at a Tampines junction on Monday (Apr 22) was carefree, kind and dedicated to making a difference, said friends and family.
Afifah Munirah Muhammad Azril, who was in her first year of junior college, died after an accident involving several vehicles at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Avenue 4 on Monday morning.
Many who knew Afifah turned up at her family's home to show their support on Tuesday.
One of them, 18-year-old junior college student Claire Wong, knew Afifah from their time in Cedar Girls’ Secondary School.
She told CNA: “Afifah was such an amazing friend. There’s simply no words to describe her.
“Honestly, the most heartbreaking part of it was seeing how people describe her by just her name, but it in itself doesn’t encapsulate how much she’s impacted so many people in her life.”
The accident on Monday also claimed the life of another 57-year-old woman. Six others were taken to hospital, including a 42-year-old car driver who is assisting with police investigations.
Afifah’s father Muhammad Azril Mahmood was among those taken to hospital. He has undergone surgery and remains warded, said the girl's uncle Mr Firdaus Kassim in social media posts on Monday evening.
On Tuesday, about 10 people from the football community were present to support Mr Firdaus, a football coach.
Afifah Munirah's body was brought back to her home in Pasir Ris from the mortuary on Apr 23, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Marcus Mark Ramos)
When CNA arrived at the family’s home in Pasir Ris at 10am on Tuesday, a few people were scattered around the void deck. Most said they knew Afifah’s parents and were there to attend the burial ceremony.
This includes solat jenazah — a funeral prayer in Islam tradition that is conducted for the deceased by family and friends.
Within 45 minutes of CNA's arrival, at least 40 to 50 people had gathered downstairs and another 50 people were inside the house.
These included 25 people who appeared to be Afifah’s friends, mostly groups of teenage girls who were dressed in black. Some were in tears and declined to speak to reporters.
Many broke down when Afifah’s body eventually arrived home from the mortuary around 2.15pm. At about 3pm, 20 more of her friends arrived at her house. The crowd included some friends from TJC and three teachers.
Afifah Munirah's body was brought back to her home in Pasir Ris on Apr 23, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Marcus Mark Ramos)
Claire, who came in her school uniform with a small bouquet of flowers, took time off school to visit Afifah's home. She was Afifah’s senior in girl guides in secondary school.
Afifah stood out because of how dedicated and driven she was in making a difference in the lives of those around her, including her friends and her teachers, she added.
She had “so much potential,” said Claire, but her life was taken away by what appeared to be reckless driving.
“It’s really just such a tragic incident that none of us could have expected,” Claire said, getting emotional.
“I just want people to remember her for her bubbly smile or her laughter,” she said, adding that she can imagine Afifah running towards her with a smile.
“Her smile reaches the corner of both eyes, and when she laughs it’s not like a small laugh ... I think it really defines her because she was so carefree and kind, and dedicated to whatever she served.”
A photo of Afifah on a trip to South Korea with friends at the end of 2023. (Photo: Instagram/https.afifahaha)
Afifah’s uncle, who only wanted to be known as Mr Azali, teared up as he spoke to CNA about how he found out about the accident.
Mr Azali, who is close to Afifah’s father, his cousin, said she took after her father. “They are very close together. She dedicates her studies to him,” the 51-year-old added.
On Monday morning, he saw the videos of the car accident online before finding out his cousin and niece were involved. Shortly after, he received a call from his mother with the news of Afifah’s death. It was then that he put two and two together.
“I broke down,” he recounted, trying to hold back tears.
The father of three added that Afifah’s death hit him hard, as his eldest child was just two years older than Afifah. He said the incident raised his concerns about how safe his children were on their way to school.
Around 4.15pm on Tuesday, Afifah’s body was brought from her home to a nearby pavilion for funeral prayers, before being transported eventually to the Pusara Abadi Muslim Cemetery.
Afifah Munirah's body was brought back from the mortuary to her home in Pasir Ris on Apr 23, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Marcus Mark Ramos)
Another friend who knew her from Cedar Girls’ Secondary described Afifah as someone who was friends with everyone.
Also 17, she was in the same Mother Tongue class as Afifah in secondary school. “She was always very bright and smiling whenever she talked to other people,” she added, declining to be named,.
Afifah graduated from Cedar Girls’ Secondary in 2023. On Tuesday, the school posted on its Instagram account mourning the loss of Afifah, describing her as one of their “outstanding graduands” and an esteemed leader for the school’s girl guides.
The TJC community mourned her passing, remembering her as a lively student who exuded “loads of positive energy”.
In a post on TJC’s Facebook page on Tuesday, her teachers said Afifah took her studies seriously and was a self-motivated student who contributed actively in tutorials.
“Afifah always had a way to light up the classroom, even in the most dreary of afternoons,” said her biology tutor Jean Chong.
Teacher-in-charge of the school's Malay cultural society, Ms Elina Abdul Rashid, said: “Afifah was very passionate about Malay culture and whenever she is around, peers always seem to be happy as she always brings with her much laughter and happiness."
Ms Han Zi Rui, a teacher who knew Afifah from her time in Meridian Primary School, also posted on Facebook, recalling when the latter told her in February that she had secured a spot in TJC, filling her with pride.
“Even today and tomorrow, I am proud of who you are. My dear angel, rest in peace. I will always remember your smile and the sound of your laughter,” Ms Han wrote.
More than 20 people from the Police Coast Guard, where Afifah’s father works, were present at the family’s home on Tuesday.
Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Desmond Tan also visited the family’s home on Tuesday morning and left at about 10.40am.
“This is a very tragic accident, and we really feel for the loss of lives and we're here to support the family. I think the priority now is to make sure that the family is taken care of,” he told CNA, noting that Afifah’s father is still in the hospital.
“I think we all can feel the anguish of this incident. It's very sad that something like this happened in Singapore on a very typical Monday morning, with students going to some school event.”
The accident is a reminder to not take safety on the road for granted, and that every driver and passenger has a role to play to ensure that the roads are safe, said Mr Tan.
“An incident like this can actually wreck lives and families, just by possibly a reckless act on the road.”
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Afifah Munirah Muhammad Azril, who was in her first year of junior college, died after an accident involving several vehicles at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Avenue 4 on Monday morning.
Many who knew Afifah turned up at her family's home to show their support on Tuesday.
One of them, 18-year-old junior college student Claire Wong, knew Afifah from their time in Cedar Girls’ Secondary School.
She told CNA: “Afifah was such an amazing friend. There’s simply no words to describe her.
“Honestly, the most heartbreaking part of it was seeing how people describe her by just her name, but it in itself doesn’t encapsulate how much she’s impacted so many people in her life.”
The accident on Monday also claimed the life of another 57-year-old woman. Six others were taken to hospital, including a 42-year-old car driver who is assisting with police investigations.
Afifah’s father Muhammad Azril Mahmood was among those taken to hospital. He has undergone surgery and remains warded, said the girl's uncle Mr Firdaus Kassim in social media posts on Monday evening.
On Tuesday, about 10 people from the football community were present to support Mr Firdaus, a football coach.
Afifah Munirah's body was brought back to her home in Pasir Ris from the mortuary on Apr 23, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Marcus Mark Ramos)
When CNA arrived at the family’s home in Pasir Ris at 10am on Tuesday, a few people were scattered around the void deck. Most said they knew Afifah’s parents and were there to attend the burial ceremony.
This includes solat jenazah — a funeral prayer in Islam tradition that is conducted for the deceased by family and friends.
Within 45 minutes of CNA's arrival, at least 40 to 50 people had gathered downstairs and another 50 people were inside the house.
These included 25 people who appeared to be Afifah’s friends, mostly groups of teenage girls who were dressed in black. Some were in tears and declined to speak to reporters.
Many broke down when Afifah’s body eventually arrived home from the mortuary around 2.15pm. At about 3pm, 20 more of her friends arrived at her house. The crowd included some friends from TJC and three teachers.
Afifah Munirah's body was brought back to her home in Pasir Ris on Apr 23, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Marcus Mark Ramos)
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Claire, who came in her school uniform with a small bouquet of flowers, took time off school to visit Afifah's home. She was Afifah’s senior in girl guides in secondary school.
Afifah stood out because of how dedicated and driven she was in making a difference in the lives of those around her, including her friends and her teachers, she added.
She had “so much potential,” said Claire, but her life was taken away by what appeared to be reckless driving.
“It’s really just such a tragic incident that none of us could have expected,” Claire said, getting emotional.
“I just want people to remember her for her bubbly smile or her laughter,” she said, adding that she can imagine Afifah running towards her with a smile.
“Her smile reaches the corner of both eyes, and when she laughs it’s not like a small laugh ... I think it really defines her because she was so carefree and kind, and dedicated to whatever she served.”
A photo of Afifah on a trip to South Korea with friends at the end of 2023. (Photo: Instagram/https.afifahaha)
Afifah’s uncle, who only wanted to be known as Mr Azali, teared up as he spoke to CNA about how he found out about the accident.
Mr Azali, who is close to Afifah’s father, his cousin, said she took after her father. “They are very close together. She dedicates her studies to him,” the 51-year-old added.
On Monday morning, he saw the videos of the car accident online before finding out his cousin and niece were involved. Shortly after, he received a call from his mother with the news of Afifah’s death. It was then that he put two and two together.
“I broke down,” he recounted, trying to hold back tears.
The father of three added that Afifah’s death hit him hard, as his eldest child was just two years older than Afifah. He said the incident raised his concerns about how safe his children were on their way to school.
Around 4.15pm on Tuesday, Afifah’s body was brought from her home to a nearby pavilion for funeral prayers, before being transported eventually to the Pusara Abadi Muslim Cemetery.
Afifah Munirah's body was brought back from the mortuary to her home in Pasir Ris on Apr 23, 2024. (Photo: CNA/Marcus Mark Ramos)
Another friend who knew her from Cedar Girls’ Secondary described Afifah as someone who was friends with everyone.
Also 17, she was in the same Mother Tongue class as Afifah in secondary school. “She was always very bright and smiling whenever she talked to other people,” she added, declining to be named,.
Afifah graduated from Cedar Girls’ Secondary in 2023. On Tuesday, the school posted on its Instagram account mourning the loss of Afifah, describing her as one of their “outstanding graduands” and an esteemed leader for the school’s girl guides.
The TJC community mourned her passing, remembering her as a lively student who exuded “loads of positive energy”.
In a post on TJC’s Facebook page on Tuesday, her teachers said Afifah took her studies seriously and was a self-motivated student who contributed actively in tutorials.
“Afifah always had a way to light up the classroom, even in the most dreary of afternoons,” said her biology tutor Jean Chong.
Teacher-in-charge of the school's Malay cultural society, Ms Elina Abdul Rashid, said: “Afifah was very passionate about Malay culture and whenever she is around, peers always seem to be happy as she always brings with her much laughter and happiness."
Ms Han Zi Rui, a teacher who knew Afifah from her time in Meridian Primary School, also posted on Facebook, recalling when the latter told her in February that she had secured a spot in TJC, filling her with pride.
“Even today and tomorrow, I am proud of who you are. My dear angel, rest in peace. I will always remember your smile and the sound of your laughter,” Ms Han wrote.
More than 20 people from the Police Coast Guard, where Afifah’s father works, were present at the family’s home on Tuesday.
Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Desmond Tan also visited the family’s home on Tuesday morning and left at about 10.40am.
“This is a very tragic accident, and we really feel for the loss of lives and we're here to support the family. I think the priority now is to make sure that the family is taken care of,” he told CNA, noting that Afifah’s father is still in the hospital.
“I think we all can feel the anguish of this incident. It's very sad that something like this happened in Singapore on a very typical Monday morning, with students going to some school event.”
The accident is a reminder to not take safety on the road for granted, and that every driver and passenger has a role to play to ensure that the roads are safe, said Mr Tan.
“An incident like this can actually wreck lives and families, just by possibly a reckless act on the road.”
Continue reading...