Final journey for slain activist Bill Kayong

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The hearse bearing the late Bill Kayong @ Mohd Hasbie Abdullah.

MIRI: The funeral cortege of the late Bill Kayong @ Mohd Hasbie Abdullah made its way to the slain activist’s final resting place today (June 24), but not before making a stop at the PKR Miri branch office to honour his memory.

A mobile police station van was the outrider for the convoy of vehicles, which stopped momentarily at about 2.05 pm for his friends and ex-colleagues lining up at the shops near the PKR office at Miri Waterfront Commercial Centre to say their last goodbyes.

The cortege later headed towards Marina City enroute to the Muslim cemetery in Lusut, where Bill was laid to rest.

A crowd of about 5,000 people turned up in the last two days to pay their last respects at his house in Desa Senadin, with the biggest crowd last night numbering about 2,000 people.

About 4,000 mourners attended the funeral, while the funeral rites were performed by Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) vice president, Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus, who flew in from Kuala Lumpur to attend the ceremony.

Bill’s son, Zinedine Zidane, was given the honour to sprinkle the ‘air bunga mawar’ on his father’s grave, followed by daughter Veralyna Kay and Bill’s wife, Hasyikin Hatta.

Among those seen at the funeral were PKR vice presidents Nurul Izzah Anwar, Dr Xavier Jayakumar, Chua Tian Chung, Darell Leiking, Miri MP Dr Michael Teo and other PKR, DAP and PAS members.

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The funeral cortege enroute to Bill’s final resting place.

Political leaders , friends and relatives lamented his passing and condemned the heinous killing while simultaneously calling for the authorities to leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Sarawak PKR chief and fellow NCR activist Baru Bian said the education of the children of their fallen comrade would looked after by the party, a move which the national leaders said they would support.


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Zinedine has just been accepted into college while Veralyna is still studying in Form Two at a secondary school in Miri.

Baru said Zinedine could opt to either study here or in a university in Selangor, where the state government is led by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, who is also PKR deputy president.

The PKR Miri branch secretary and Native Customary Rights (NCR) activist was gunned down in his car while he was waiting at the traffic light interchange at the Kuala Baram bypass on June 21.

According to the post mortem concluded on June 22, he died on the spot.

A Special Taskforce has been formed to investigate the murder.

People gather outside the PKR Miri Branch office to pay their last respects as the hearse passes by.

People gather outside the PKR Miri Branch office to pay their last respects as the hearse passes by.

A huge line of cars stretching for over one kilometre at the funeral service.

A huge line of cars stretching for over one kilometre at the funeral service.

People lining up to pay their last respects at the funeral

People lining up to pay their last respects at the funeral

Relatives perform funeral rites over the grave.

(From left) Zinedine, Veralyna and their mother, Hasyikin Hatta sprinkle ‘air bunga mawar’ on the grave.

Prayers being read over Bill's grave.

Prayers being read over Bill’s grave.

A moment of silence for the late Bill Kayong @ Mohd Hasbie Abdullah.

A moment of silence for the late Bill Kayong @ Mohd Hasbie Abdullah.