KOTA BARU, MALAYSIA - A 17-year-old student, due to sit his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination next month, had his right hand severed in a parang attack on Sunday evening.

Ahmad Mustakim Ariff Jusoh, a Form Five student of SMK Puteri, was on the way to his Wakaf Mek Zainab home on a motorcycle, after buying a burger from a nearby stall, when he was attacked by two youths on a motorcycle about midnight.

Luckily, his severed hand fell into the front basket of the motorcycle and doctors at Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital in Kubang Kerian were able to re-attach it.

His family, however, is now worried that he would not be able to take the examination, which is due to start on Nov 11.

His mother, Tuan Mariam Raja Ahmad, 56, said her son claimed that one of the attackers was a Thai citizen who was once his close friend.

The mother of nine said the attack stemmed from an argument over the loss of a motorcycle belonging to the Thai youth.

She said the Thai youth used to be a regular visitor to their home, but when the motorcycle was stolen four months ago, he accused her son of the theft.

"They quarrelled many times over it but I never thought that it would come to this. I don't know how Mustakim will take the examination as he is right-handed.

"Although he can take the exam in the hospital, it will be hard to write with his left hand.

"He is not an A-student, but he is keen on learning. He told me he hoped to do well in the SPM as he wanted to help the family."

She said that Mustakim, the seventh in the family, had borrowed his brother's motorcycle to go to a burger stall about 11.40pm.

"I was about to sleep when I heard screams from outside the house. I went out and saw my son bleeding.

"He was crying in pain. Luckily, his brother, Arni, saw the severed hand in the motorcycle's front basket.

"We rushed him to the hospital and the doctors said they would be able to re-attach the hand."

Tuan Mariam said that Mustakim had claimed that the friend and another youth came up to him while he was riding home and started the argument over the lost motorcycle.

"The friend who was riding pillion then took out a parang and slashed my son."