SERIAN: The love and affection embodied by the late Joanna Felicia Rohna will forever remain cherished and remembered.
With small hands, her four-year-old daughter, Allesia Felice Haslie, waved goodbye to the casket carrying Joanna’s lifeless body, unaware of the harsh permanence of her mother’s departure.
As the casket of the late Leading Seaman JJM Joanna was carried out of the house, her daughter asked where her mother was being taken.
“Mummy, mummy where are you going?” said her daughter, leaving those present feeling a pang of sadness upon hearing the child’s voice.
During the prayer ceremony before the burial, Allesia’s actions continued to evoke emotions among those present as she repeatedly called out ‘mummy’ while walking near the casket.
As the ceremony unfolded, Joanna’s eldest child joined in scattering flowers on her mother’s grave.
For Petty Officer TMK Haslie Ali, 33, witnessing his child’s innocence amid the tragedy was heart-wrenching.
Haslie, his voice laden with sadness, shared that the couple’s two young children were the centre of their world.
“When playing with the children, she would often say to them, ‘I love daddy, I love mommy.’
“That’s what she would frequently say to them, and it’s something I’ll always remember,” he said when met after the funeral event.
Described as a kind, compassionate, and patient individual, Joanna’s presence has illuminated his life for the past seven years.
Despite a brief acquaintance, the bond between Haslie and Joanna blossomed into a marital union during their tenure in the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).
“We got to know each other in a short period of time. We became acquainted after work, leading to our marriage, which is now in its sixth to seventh year.
“My expertise is in the technical field, while she serves as a Physical Training Instructor (PTI),” he told the media after the funeral ceremony of Joanna at Kampung Engkeroh here today.
In the days leading up to the tragedy, he said Joanna exhibited no unusual behaviour, maintaining her characteristic joyfulness and courage.
He added that Joanna’s culinary skills delighted those around her, and her adventurous spirit endeared her to friends and colleagues alike.
Additionally, he said that Joanna’s passing marked her third time aboard a helicopter during her seven-year tenure with the RMN.
Upon receiving news of the incident while still aboard the naval vessel, Haslie’s immediate instinct was to rush to the scene.
He recalled how he was mixed with disbelief and desperation to be near his beloved wife.
While carrying his one-year-old son Hovannes Haslie, he expressed gratitude to those present who offered support and condolences during the hard time.
The funeral management assistance for the late Joanna at the Christian cemetery was coordinated by the Kuching Resident Naval Officer (RNO), with support from RMN 1st Division.
Also present at the ceremony were the Commander of the First Infantry Division of Malaysia Major General Datuk Fauzi Kamis; the acting chief of staff Eastern Field Command Brigadier General Mohd Rafi Muhammad, and Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Project Director of the RMN in Lumut First Admiral Ir. Ts. Franklin Jeyasekhar Joseph.
The body of the late Joanna arrived at Kuching Air Base aboard an RMAF C130 aircraft from Ipoh at 11.54pm.
Upon arrival, Joanna’s remains, hailing from Kampung Sumpas Tampek, were taken to her husband’s family residence in Kampung Engkaroh.
Among the six RMN officers and personnel who perished alongside Joanna in the HOM aircraft (M503-3) were Commander Muhammad Firdaus Ramli, Lieutenant Commander Wan Rezaudeen Kamal Wan Zainal Abidin, Lieutenant Commander Mohammad Amirulfaris Mohamad Marzukhi, Warrant Officer II TLR Muhammad Faisol Tamadun, Warrant Officer II TNL Noorfarahimi Mohd Saedy, and Petty Officer II TNL Noor Rahiza Anuar.
The three individuals aboard the Fennec (M502-6) were Commander Muhamad Amir Mohamad, Lieutenant Sivasutan Thanjappan, and Warrant Officer II TMK Mohd Shahrizan Mohd Termizi.
