JOHOR BAHRU: The swift action of a nine-year-old boy in waking up his parents and siblings from their slumber saved their lives from a fiery end when a fire broke out at their home in Bandar Sri Coalfields in Selangor last September.
For his outstanding act of bravery, Altamis Faiz Shahrullizam, the second of five siblings, was today conferred with the Hang Tuah Medal in conjunction with the National Children’s Day 2023 celebration.
The Year Three schoolboy from Sekolah Kebangsaan Desa Aman, Sungai Buloh, said he was sleeping with his three-year-old brother, Aryan Adwa, while his parents and three other siblings were in separate bedrooms when the fire broke out at 4 am.
“I was awakened by a very strong smell of smoke and quickly woke up my parents and other siblings to save ourselves.
“I can vividly remember the incident. I was terrified but somehow managed to gather the courage,” he told reporters after receiving the medal from Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
Altamis said his courage probably came from discipline and training of silat, which he had practised since the age of six, other than watching firefighters in action in his favourite local animated series Upin and Ipin.
His mother, Fazreen Ismail, 39, expressed pride in her son’s bravery, not only in waking them up but also in quickly grabbing the house keys to open the doors.
“Once we were outside, Altamis also alerted our neighbours, while my husband and my eldest son tried to put out the blaze,” said the civil servant.
Although 70 per cent of her house was damaged in the early morning fire, Fazreen was still grateful as all her family members were unhurt.
Apart from the medal, Altamis also received cash of RM5,000.
Meanwhile, Anugerah Gemilang Kebudayaan dan Kesenian was conferred to Ahmad Mikhail Damsal Abdul Hakim, 14; Anugerah Gemilang Sukan to Emelda Camalia Abd Razak, 13; and Anugerah Gemilang OKU was presented to Nurr Arissa Irdiani Azizi, 13.
Almost 400 children from across the country attended the national-level celebration themed “Our Rights Our Future”. -Bernama