SHAH ALAM: Veteran comedian AR Badul wants an inquest into the death of his son, Major Mohd Zahir Armaya, who was killed in a shooting demonstration at the Lok Kawi Camp in Kota Kinabalu earlier this month.
Badul, whose real name is Armaya Aman Ramlie, said an inquest would ascertain the circumstances that led to the death of 36-year-old Mohd Zahir, who was believed to have been accidentally shot on Sept 4.
Badul said this after expressing disappointment over the army statement which today classified Mohd Zahir’s death as a training accident.
“I want an inquest and the same justice for my son, just like Adib (late firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim). I have read the statement and I am upset.
“I have accepted my son’s death and the time had come for him to go. But I still cannot comprehend the circumstances that led to his death; was there a flaw in the demonstration and its standard operating procedures, the condition of his bulletproof vest, what medical emergency efforts were taken in an attempt to save him and even the forensic report.
“Nothing specific has been revealed to me or my family. I have many unanswered questions because there are no proper and detailed explanations on his death, except that it was an accident.
“All the information I got was only from the media. Perhaps an inquest will tell what truly happened and it will stop people’s negative perceptions over the unfortunate incident,” Badul said here tonight.
Badul said this during a tahlil prayer for Mohd Zahir in Section 28.
Mohd Zahir died after he was believed to have been accidentally shot during the launch of the Malaysian Fifth Infantry Division and the 13th Malaysian Infantry Brigade exhibition at the Lok Kawi Camp.
The commander of the Special Operations Group 11 (11 GGK) at the Sungai Udang camp in Melaka died at 9.20am at the Queen Elizabeth 1 Hospital.
Bernama reported that in the army statement, the classification of Mohd Zahir’s death as a training accident was made by its investigation board which found the incident to be an isolated case.
The statement said the board members also found that the equipment and accessories used during the training were in good condition.
It also said that army will take the appropriate disciplinary action against the individuals involved, while standard operating procedures (SOPs) will also be updated if required.
Mohd Zahir would be posthumously promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, as decided during the 578th Armed Forces Council which convened on Sept 17, subject to the approval of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
The welfare of Mohd Zahir's family will also be taken care of based on the officer's entitlement, it added.