Two Malaysian nationals killed in NZ

this news in NZ newspaper

Deceased pair were on study trip from Malaysian university
December 4, 2008, 8:59 pm


Two Malaysian nationals killed in a car accident in South Waikato yesterday were in New Zealand on a study trip.

Shafiee Bin Ahmad, 51, the driver, and Mariyam Sakinah Binti Ahmad, 21, a passenger, both died at the scene of the crash at the intersection of State Highway 1 and SH5, east of Tirau.

Senior Sergeant Murray Hamilton, of Taupo police, said initial inquiries showed that the van carrying the Malaysians ignored a stop sign on SH5 and drove into the path of the truck and trailer unit on SH1.

Two of the van's other passengers remain in Waikato Hospital in serious conditions. The other two passengers were treated and discharged last night.

The truck driver was uninjured.

Mr Ahmad was the deputy dean of student affairs at the communications and media studies faculty at the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and Ms Ahmad was a second-year broadcasting student, the Kuala Lumpur newspaper New Straits Times reported.

UiTM assistant vice-chancellor of corporate and communications department Ahmad Redzuan Abd Rahman said the deceased were on a 10-day study trip. The group, of four lecturers and five students, left Malaysia on November 26 and were expected back tomorrow.