KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — Ten-year-old Norieen Yaakob, who was found alive together with another girl out of seven Orang Asli children after disappearing for 47 days, claimed that the rest were dead.
Norieen and Mirsudiar Aluj, 11, were found alive in the jungles of Gua Musang, Kelantan, yesterday in a malnourished state, while the bodies of Sasa Sobrie, 8, and Ika Ayel, 9, have been discovered, along with the skeletal remains of a child that has yet to be identified.
“They are all dead. We are all that’s left,” Norieen was quoted saying.
Family lawyer Siti Kassim reportedly said that according to Norieen, the first to die in the harsh jungle conditions was seven-year-old Juvina David.
Juvina, Norieen’s brother Haikal, 8, and Linda Rosli, 8, have yet to be accounted for.
Norieen reportedly said that after Juvina, the rest to die were Haikal, Sasa, Ika and Linda in order.
The child reportedly said she and Mirsudiar floated the bodies of their friends downstream.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mazlan Lazim reportedly said that Norieen and Mirsudiar were starving and appeared to have survived on leaves.
The Orang Asli students of SK Pos Tohoi, comprising six girls and a boy aged between seven and 11, were first reported missing on August 23.
They were believed to have run away from their school hostel for fear of disciplinary action by their teacher for bathing in a river without permission.
