By Arul John

AFTER the death of his close friend in a crash when the car he was driving went out of control, all he has now are 'what if' questions.

Mohamed Basheer K N K Naina Mohamed, 20, told The New Paper: 'Since the accident, I have been asking questions like 'what if we had not gone to Tekka that day?', 'what if we had not had a few drinks along the way?', 'what if I had not been speeding that day?'

The full-time NSF storeman thinks that if he had just not done those things, his friend, Muhammad Habibullah Mohd Hanifa, 22, might still be alive today.

Mohamed Basheer ended up driving while drunk and lost control of the car when his friend, who was also drunk, tried to grab the steering wheel while they were on the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE).

The car hit the central divider and Muhammad Habibullah, who was sitting in front, was flung out and died of multiple injuries on the spot.

On Friday, Mohamed Basheer was jailed for 10months for causing the death of Muhammad Habibullah by a rash act not amounting to culpable homicide.

He was also jailed for a week for driving a car while under a blood alcohol limit in excess of the prescribed limit of 35 ug/100ml.

Both men had known each other since 2002, when they were students in the same secondary school.

In an interview before he was sentenced, Mohamed Basheer said he and Muhammad Habibullah, a full-time NSF at Clementi Fire Station, did many things together, like going to the movies, hanging out and playing snooker.

He was due to end his NSF stint next June while Muhammad Habibullah's would have ended this year.

At 3am on 31 Dec last year, Mohamed Basheer, who was then 19, was driving his mother's month-old white Honda Civic along the centre lane of the AYE towards Tuas.

At the time, Mohamed Basheer was a probationary driver and also under probation for two charges of theft and using criminal force.

He also failed to display the probationary plate on the car.

The evening before the accident, the friends had met and decided to go for a meal and drinks at Serangoon Road, near the Tekka market area.

He said: 'Muhammad Habibullah had bought a new motorcycle two days earlier and he wanted to try it out. He rode the motorcycle to meet me at the void deck of my home at Clementi and we then went to Clementi Fire Station.'

They then went to a 7-Eleven store near the fire station, where Muhammad Habibullah bought some vodka.

Mohamed Basheer said: 'I drink alcohol sometimes, but am not a habitual drinker. Usually, Muhammad Habibullah would drink with some friends and I would just sit with them.

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Couldn't say no

'But that evening, he asked me to drink with him, saying that he had already bought the drink and prepared two cups for us. How could I say no?'

After several drinks, they drove to Serangoon Road in the Civic.

He said: 'I do not know how long we spent there, but time flew. We had a meal and a few more drinks and soon it was time for me to drive Muhammad Habibullah back to the fire station.

'His uniform was in my car. As we walked to the car, he kept asking me to let him drive the car but I told him that he was too tipsy.'

Mohamed Basheer said that while he was driving, his friend rolled down the window on his side and occasionally waved his hand outside.

He said: 'I was driving at 120kmh. Near Shenton Way, Muhammad Habibullah suddenly unbuckled his seat belt and tried to take over the steering wheel.

'I pushed him away but the steering wheel moved to the right and I lost control of the car.'

The next thing Mohamed Basheer knew was the car hitting the centre guard rail of the AYE and Muhammad Habibullah's body flying out onto the road.

The impact caused the car to spin a few times at the centre lane, then veer and hit the left wall of the expressway before stopping near the centre lane.

He said: 'I still have nightmares of the accident. I still see my friend's mangled and bleeding body on the road.

'I had to attend counselling sessions at the SAF Counselling Centre after the accident.'

Forgiven by victim's family

Mohamed Basheer said his friend's family had forgiven him for what happened but the mother is still distraught.

His friend's father, Mr Mohd Haniffa, told The New Paper a few days after the accident: 'Everyone makes mistakes in life. Though this was a big mistake, I bear no grudges against him.'

Mohamed Bashir said he had also stopped drinking alcohol.

He said: 'His father said it was not my fault, that what happened was fated. But his wife cries when she sees me as I remind her of her dead son.

'Muhammad Habibullah's birthday (Jul 3) and Hari Raya Puasa have since passed, and it has been very hard for them to celebrate without him around.

'Since the accident, I have tried to avoid the site where it happened but I had to pass the site twice this year. When I passed it, I closed my eyes and moved on.'

Mohamed Basheer said he visits a mosque near Keppel Road every Friday to offer prayers for his dead friend. He said: 'Since the accident, I have grown closer to my family and we have shared a lot about the accident. My parents have also been supportive.

'Thanks to their support and prayers, I am prepared for whatever sentence the court gives me. After I serve my sentence, I plan to further my studies and move on with my life.

'But I will always remember how my close friend lost his life.'

See also:
Deadly S'pore roads

This article was first published in The New Paper on Nov 3, 2008.