AS the search and rescue (SAR) operation to find 48-year-old Indian national Vijayaletchumy who went missing in a sinkhole incident at Jalan Masjid India last Friday (Aug 23) entered its seventh day today (Aug 29), a Hindu man has accepted Islam after believing Allah “has spared his life from being swallowed by earth”.
According to a Facebook posting in Dunia Info Kini, the Malaysian by the name of Haridath who was captured on video quickly pulling his leg out of the sinkhole decided straight away to embrace Islam after having cheated death.
Believing in divine intervention, the man turned up at the ABIM office at the National Mosque yesterday (Aug 28) with two of his friends after being instructed to do so after he has gone to the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (JAWI).
“JAWI then directed Haridath to the ABIM office of the National Mosque for his conversion to Islam with us in English,” penned the unnamed original author of the FB post.
“MashyAllah (God has willed it’), we all felt moved by the guidance that Allah SWT conferred on him so promptly. He has chosen his new name Harizan.
“Aged 48 and still single, both his parents have passed on. He was really moved with tears gathered around his eyes when we hugged him after he had recited the shahadah.”
Delving on collision of faith from the KL sinkhole incident, the Penang Malaysia Hindhu Dharma Mamandram has called on temples across the nation to conduct special prayers for Vijayaletchumy and her family in light of the tragedy.
“We hold onto hope that the dedicated rescuers will be successful in their efforts to locate her, and we pray for their strength and perseverance,” shared the Indian NGO in a FB post.
On the same note, Bernama reported the presence of four individuals carrying yellow chrysanthemums at the scene of the sinkhole incident at Jalan Masjid India yesterday (Aug 28) afternoon.
Arriving at the location at about 1.10pm, they performed religious rites for almost 10 minutes – believed to be an alternative to the on-going SAR efforts – to locate Vijayaletchumy went missing after having fallen into the eight-metre-deep hole.
When met by reporters, one of them, V.T. Vanija introduced herself as a representative from NGOs the Malaysia Hindu Sanggam and Hindhu Dharma Mamandram. She explained that they were called in to assist with the SAR efforts.
“Just now we sang Sivapuranam Thevaram’and Thiruvasanagam. According to Hindu belief, the flowers will be released into the river as a form of offering to the victim,” she told reporters at the scene.
Despite not having any family ties to the victim, Vanija explained that she and several others from the NGOs regularly conduct such ceremonies during disasters, similar to their efforts during the COVID-19 outbreak a few years ago. – Aug 29, 2024
Main image credit Dunia Info Kini/Facebook
