Emotional farewells enveloped the process of returning the remains of Fauzey bin Awang at the Blambangan Hospital’s morgue in Banyuwangi. Family members waited in deep sorrow for the return of the man from Malaysia, their quiet sobs intertwining with a young woman’s weary whispers of prayer. She had just traveled a long way, flying from neighboring Malaysia to Juanda International Airport and then making her way eastward to Banyuwangi. Her head bowed in prayer, she clutched onto a metal chair in the waiting area for the deceased. Beside her, a middle-aged woman stared into the void, tears glistening in her eyes.
Fauzey bin Awang was the 15th victim identified by the DVI team of the Indonesian National Police following the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya tragedy. The identification process spanned two days, a delay attributed to the condition of the remains. The atmosphere grew increasingly somber as a white casket, measuring 2 by 1 meters and bearing Fauzey’s name, emerged from the morgue. His body had been prepared and prayed over by the mortuary staff and was gently handed over to his family for burial. The moment was heart-wrenching as family members released their grief, mourning the loss of Fauzey in such tragic circumstances. His daughter from his first marriage also joined in bidding farewell, having traveled from Malaysia to pay her final respects and honor her father’s wish to be laid to rest near his second wife’s home.
“If I pass away, please bury me close to my teacher’s grave in Dusun Lidah, Desa Yosomulyo, Gambiran,” was a message he conveyed long before the tragedy struck. After mutual agreement, Fauzey’s remains were interred as per his wishes. “Both families, from Banyuwangi and Malaysia, had reached an agreement that Fauzey bin Awang would be buried in his chosen location,” stated Banyuwangi Police Chief, Kombes Pol Rama Samtama Putra, on the night of July 11, 2025. The decision had also been communicated to the Malaysian Embassy in Indonesia, receiving official approval.
“The embassy had no objections, since the burial in Banyuwangi aligns with the wishes of the deceased,” Rama added. Meanwhile, Yatini, the late man’s widow, felt a sense of relief, still wrapped in mourning. After an 11-day wait, her beloved husband’s remains were finally found. There had been speculation earlier as his name was missing from the passenger manifest of the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya. “Thank God, my husband Fauzey bin Awang’s burial is complete. May he rest in peace. Ameen,” Yatini texted on July 12, 2025.
She recalled her husband’s dream of settling in Indonesia, living together until old age. Yet, his job as a security officer in Malaysia forced him to commute regularly. Every three months, Fauzey would return to Indonesia, spending two to three weeks with Yatini. This time, he had fulfilled his promise to forever remain by her side. “You once said, and promised, wherever you go, I must follow. You meant, we’d live happily together here in Indonesia,” Yatini recalled.
Now, she vowed not to dwell in darkness. Her prayers for Fauzey continue. True to her promise, she would care for his grave until her last breath. Previously reported, a Malaysian national was declared missing in the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya disaster, traveling from Gambiran to Bali. However, his name did not appear on the passenger manifest released by the joint SAR team a day after the ship sank. Yatini had sought answers from the travel company but received no satisfactory response. Fauzey was scheduled to fly back to Malaysia from Ngurah Rai Airport on Wednesday, July 3, 2025, at 12:00 WITA. Tragically, on Tuesday, July 2, 2025, at 23:35 WIB, the KMP Tunu Pratama Jaya sank, and Yatini lost all means of communication with her husband. Their last connection was a brief message saying goodbye as he prepared to cross over to Bali from Ketapang Port.
