GEORGE TOWN: Auxiliary policeman constable Zaidi Salleh, who risked his life by jumping into the sea to rescue a woman who jumped off the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Bridge recently, is unfazed by the criticisms hurled against him.
In the incident on Wednesday, the 28-year-old woman was said to have parked her Toyota Avanza by the roadside at Km9.9 of the bridge before jumping off.
Zaidi, one of three auxiliary policemen in charge of patrolling the bridge, risked his own life by jumping into the sea to rescue the woman.
A video of fishermen pulling them out of the sea was shared online, initially drawing praises but eventually led to criticisms of his methods.
Speaking to newsmen here today, the 52-year-old Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB) employee said there was no need for him to entertain such claims.
He said what was important was that he was able to save the woman.
“I want to see how those who made such claims help save the woman. I want to learn from them. Maybe they have far more superior knowledge than me. I am just an ordinary man and that is all I can do to help save the woman.
“I want to learn from these ‘experts’. I still have the energy to learn new things,” he said after accepting a certificate of appreciation and cash contribution from the National Security Council (NSC) here today.
Present to hand over the certificate of appreciation and cash contribution was Penang Federal Action Council chairman Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman.
Zaidi’s colleagues, corporals Mohd Fitri Abu Hasan and Megat Taufik Megat Kamaruddin, who were with him during the incident, also received certificates of appreciation and cash contribution each.
Meanwhile, Zaidi, a former Royal Malaysian Air Force Ground Defence Regiment sergeant, attributed his success of rescuing the woman to his training in the Air Force and also JKSB.
Recounting the incident, Zaidi said as soon as he heard the woman’s cries for help, he wasted no time and used whatever equipments available to get to her.
He said he first used a tow cable from the JKSB maintenance vehicle to climb down to the location of the woman.
“I was mid-way down when I saw her hanging on to part of the concrete pillar of the bridge so I jumped down to reach her,” he said, adding that he emptied out a jerrycan to use as a makeshift float.
Zaidi said he held on to the woman tightly when he reached her so as to prevent her from being swept out by the strong current.
“She cooperated and as we were pulled out by the tides. I let her hold on to the jerrycan while I held her to make sure she didn’t slip away,” he said.
He said the rescue team, who arrived later, tried to extend floats to them, but he could not reach them as he was tired with having to wade through the strong current then.
“The tides were strong and I was getting weaker holding on to her and making sure she was safe. I am just glad that we managed to save her,” he added.