KUALA LUMPUR – Senior non-commissioned officer from Malaysian Battalion 850-11 (Malbatt 850-11), part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), Sgt Faridah Abd Rahman, died in Lebanon yesterday at 2.25am local time (7.25am Malaysian time).
A statement from the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) headquarters today announced that the 36-year-old sergeant, who served as the Malbatt 850-11 Islamic Affairs senior supervisor at Camp Marakah, collapsed after disembarking from a bus at the camp and was pronounced dead by medical officers.
Sgt Faridah, originally from Pendang, Kedah, had recently returned to Lebanon after spending time on leave in Malaysia.
“Her body will be sent to Hammoud Hospital in Saida, Lebanon for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. It is scheduled for today at 3.30pm Malaysian time,” the statement said.
Sgt Faridah joined MAF in 2007 and served in its Religious Corps. She was the Islamic Affairs senior supervisor in the 19th Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment (Mechanised) at Airport Camp, Sg Petani, Kedah, before being deployed to the Malbatt 850-11 UNIFIL Mission.
She is survived by her husband and four children, three daughters and one son, aged between four and ten.
“The Joint Forces headquarters, which coordinates all MAF operations and missions abroad, including the deployment of Malbatt 850-11 for the Unifil mission, will handle the repatriation of her remains to Malaysia.
“Further updates will be provided in due course,” the statement concluded. – May 19, 2024