PUBLISHED ONOctober 23, 2026 9:08 AMBYKhoo Yi-Hang'Dad, dad, dad… I'm cold."
These were the final words of 16-year-old Xu Zhikang (transliteration) to his father, Sinchew reported.
Xu, a Malaysian, was among two others who were electrocuted by a flagpole that struck a power line during a festival procession in Kedah last Tuesday (Oct 13).
He was rushed to hospital after suffering burns to 80 per cent of his body.
Speaking with Sinchew, his father, Xu Zhenzhong (transliteration), recalled rushing to the emergency room after being informed of his son's accident.
When he arrived, he briefly spoke with his son, who called out to him three times before telling him that he felt cold.
Covering his son with a bedsheet, the 58-year-old told him to rest before doctors took over, conducting a skin grafting operation that lasted about eight to nine hours, The Rakyat Post reported.
But the son ultimately succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday (Oct 21).
Xu's 16th birthday was originally planned to be a "luxurious" one, Sinchew reported.
It fell on Thursday, a day after he died.
At his funeral, five of his friends celebrated his birthday on Wednesday, bringing him chocolate cake.
Speaking with Sinchew, one of his friends, Liang Enquan (transliteration), said that the group had bonded over basketball and were all of different ages.
Liang, 18, revealed: "We've started working and have our own financial capabilities, so we wanted to give him a luxurious birthday and take him out for a good meal and have fun."
The group, sans Xu, had gone on a trip and were scheduled to return in time to celebrate his birthday, but returned early upon hearing of the accident.
'We had been looking forward to his recovery and discharge to get together again," he said.
Over 20 of Xu's friends and classmates gathered on Friday, carrying his coffin for 600m as part of a send-off before cremation.
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