R. SIVAKUMAR still finds it hard to believe that he will no longer be able to see or speak to his daughter Vinosiny Sivakumar.

The businessman said the sudden death of his daughter has brought unimaginable grief to him and his family.

“At a very young age she already knew she wanted to be an accountant. I don’t know where she got that idea as neither me nor her mother are accountants,” Sivakumar told The Malaysian Insight at his home in Klang.

“She could have gone far in life, she dreamed of working in one of the Big Four accounting firms but she will never get the chance.”

Vinosiny, 20, was found dead in her room at the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) Sintok campus in Kedah last Saturday.

She was in her fourth semester studying for a Bachelor of Accounting (Information Systems).

Her family believes that she had died of electrocution and has since lodged a police report against UUM, accusing the institution of negligence.

Kedah police also said a possible cause of death is electrocution, but added that the actual cause of death will be determined by post-mortem.

Sivakumar recalls that his daughter was extremely excited to return to campus, having spent the first three semesters at home in Klang and learning online.

“She was so excited to go there. She took her mom shopping to buy new clothes and whatever else she needed.

“Even the last few days of her life, she never complained about anything in college, not to me and not to her mother.”

Little did he know that she would have spent only one week on campus when the call came that she was dead.

Sivakumar said his daughter, a Public Service Department (JPA) scholar, was always bright, even as a child.

“She was truly gifted. She’s a very shy person and always had her nose buried in a book, studying.”

Vinosiny completed her primary school education in SJKT Simpang Lima in Klang and was a straight-A student.

She then went to Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) in Pasir Salak, Perak, where she studied from Form 1 to Form 3.

“She wanted to do accounting and be in the Arts stream, so we transferred her to Klang Methodist Girl School to complete Form 4 and 5. She was the best student in her year and she also scored 12 As for her SPM.”

Sivakumar said Vinosiny was accepted to Penang Matriculation College, where she excelled, before getting a JPA scholarship to study in UUM.

The third of four children, Vinosiny’s academic excellence also extended to her siblings.

Her older brother is also a JPA scholar currently pursuing his masters in Germany, her older sister is an accounting intern in Ernst and Young, while her younger brother is in Form 5.

“They miss her a lot, especially her younger brother. He was the closest in age to her and the two love to play fight.”

The family lives in a single storey terraced house in Bandar Puteri, Klang. Vinosiny’s grandparents on her mother’s side also live in the family home.

In the main hall of the house, they have set up an altar for Vinosiny, with her favourite food, bars of chocolate and chocolate covered cookies, as they continue to observe the final rites.

Sivakumar said Vinosiny may be gone, but her sister will carry on her legacy and ambitions.

“I will make sure that her sister goes far. Whatever it takes, she will carry Vinosiny’s dream.”

While the businessman and his wife, who is a teacher, have returned to work, the circumstances of their daughter’s death continue to haunt them.

“I won’t let this matter go. I want to know what happened to her, I want the university to tell me the truth.

“In my heart, I know that there is something wrong. We raised her to be perfect, it is very hard for us.

“Not in my wildest dream did I think something like this would happen.”

UUM officials met with the family on Tuesday. At the meeting Sivakumar said they offered their condolences and offered to help in any way possible.

“They wanted to come and meet with me, and I didn’t stop them. They apologised to me for what happened, but that won’t solve anything. It won’t bring my daughter back.”

Sivakumar, who decided to bury his daughter instead of cremating her according to Hindu tradition, said the decision to do so was made collectively by the family.

“She was so young, we didn’t have the heart to cremate her. We take solace in the fact that her body is still here.”

Sivakumar had previously said if he found the autopsy report to be unsatisfactory or if he suspects a cover up, he has no qualms exhuming her body for another round of forensic checks.

The family has since engaged a lawyer and will be filing legal action soon. – June 3, 2022.