By: Lee Shi-Ian and Jassmine Shadiqe

JOHOR BARU: Despite suffering a fractured leg and injuries to her back, Puteri Erika insisted on attending her mother's funeral yesterday.

The 22-year-old student was taken on a stretcher to the Jalan Mahmoodiah Muslim cemetery where she bade Raja Noriana Raja Ahmad farewell.

Puteri Erika believes that she will be haunted for the rest of her life by her mother's screams as robbers held her hostage in their house in the new neighbourhood of D' Kayangan in Section 13, Shah Alam early on Tuesday.

Raja Noriana was director at Triways Logistics (M) Sdn Bhd where her husband, Mohd Yusof Abdul, 66, is the executive chairman. He is also group chief executive officer of Triways Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd.

"She was begging them to leave us alone, but I just could not do anything to help her," Puteri Erika said from her bed at the Johor Puteri Specialist Hospital yesterday.

"I just wish I could have done something for her."

Puteri Erika jumped out of a window from the first floor of the house after four Indonesian robbers had broken in at 4.30am.

She was alone in her room when she heard a commotion after the robbers had rounded up her parents and younger sister.

She quickly used her sister's mobile phone to contact police before arming herself with a can of insecticide, thinking she could use it as a weapon if the robbers got to her.

Holding on to the can, she jumped from her window. She landed awkwardly, fracturing her leg and injuring her back.

"I could hardly move but I was shaking in fear and pain," she said.

One robber peered out the window when the can that Puteri Erika was holding hit the ground, making a loud noise, but he did not see her.

"I tried to curl up but the pain was intense, so I just ducked to avoid being spotted by them. I then dragged myself behind our family car. There was no use screaming for help as there was no one around."

She was rescued, along with Yusof and sister, Puteri Akilah, when the police arrived several minutes later.

They also arrested two of the four robbers.

Raja Noriana, 41, however, was killed by the two remaining robbers who held her hostage for three hours. The two were shot dead by police snipers.

It was a double tragedy for the family, when Yusof's mother Zabedah Jidin, 86, died of old age in Alor Gajah, Malacca while negotiations were going on with the robbers for his wife's release.