"I can help you if you could bring old newspaper cuttings about the incident. They will help me jog my memory, since the event happened more than 40 years ago," wrote former Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Tan Sri Zaman Khan Rahim Khan in a text message.
He had initially agreed to talk about Malaysia's first hostage situation at the AIA building in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur in 1975 and wrote: "I am getting old, both physically and with my memory (didn't serve him well with age)."
However, as soon as the interview started, it was clear that Zaman could recall the incident perfectly. One thing for sure, he did not require notes or newspaper cuttings to help him remember.
Recalling the incident of Aug 4, 1975, Zaman said he was bidding farewell to his colleagues in Bukit Aman, being his last day as Special Action Unit deputy commander. He was promoted from superintendent to assistant commissioner and was set to lead Selangor Criminal Investigation Department.
"I stopped by the police headquarters to thank (then) inspector-general of police (IGP) Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar and his deputy, the late Tan Sri Mahmood Yunus for my promotion.
"I took my briefcase and walk-ed down to my old office to see my commander, (the late) assistant commissioner M. Shanmugam.
"I said 'cheerio' and they shouted at me 'no, don't go' and 'come back'. (But) I continued to walk and almost reached the security post when my colleagues ran towards me and took my briefcase. One said 'IGP wants you back now'."
Zaman initially thought his colleagues were pulling his leg.
"I went back in and was told that the Japanese Red Army (JRA) had taken over the AIA building in Jalan Ampang."
On that day, JRA militants had infiltrated the country and held 53 people hostage, including United States Consul Robert Stebbins, and Sweden's Charge d'Affaires Fredrik Bergenstrahle, at the building.
Zaman said he later went to the building, secured the area and began gathering information.
An operation centre was set up on the ground floor, while the five JRA militants were holding the hostages on the ninth floor.
"(The late) Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie, the then home affairs minister, negotiated with the hostage-takers," he said, adding that the radical communist group demanded the Japanese government to release seven of their comrades who were detained in the country, in exchange for the hostages.
"They threatened to explode the building in case military officials attempted an ambush."
According to Zaman, Ghazali, or fondly known as King Ghaz, played a pivotal role in resolving the crisis.
The experienced diplomat was known for his great negotiation skills and was said to be able to resolve even the most complex situations.
Zaman said negotiations were initially hampered by bureaucracy from the Japanese officials.
"The Japanese government was very adamant not to give in because the militants had caused a lot of trouble," he said.
Zaman added that when the (then) Japanese ambassador insisted that the Malaysian government submit a written request to release the prisoners, he recalled Ghazali's stern reply: "Your Excellency, I am a minister of my country. Don't you take my word?"
Eventually, the Japanese government agreed and subsequently five of the prisoners were flown from Tokyo to Kuala Lumpur by a Japanese Airlines flight.
The hostage-takers then demanded safe passage out of the country and proposed Libya as their destination.
However, the Libyan government initially refused to allow the hostage-takers to land in their country.
"The then President Muammar Gaddafi hesitated to take them in because he did not want the Western world to associate him with the militants.
"But, Ghazali pushed his request through the Libyan foreign minister and eventually, the president agreed," Zaman said, adding that the then Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike also initially refused to allow the plane to refuel in the country but later relented.
"Although she allowed the plane to land in Colombo for refuelling, she warned that anyone who stepped out of the plane would be shot," Zaman said.
The hostage-takers also agreed to release all the hostages, provided that Malaysia sent two government officials to accompany them out of the country.
Consequently, the then deputy transport minister, Datuk Ramli Omar, and secretary-general for the Home Ministry Tan Sri Osman Samsuddin Cassim were sent to swap with the hostages.
"At the airport, the militants demanded that their comrades be released first, before handing over the hostages.
"We had earlier agreed that they release a few of our people in exchange for one of their men, until all hostages are safely with us."
Zaman said he stood his ground and insisted that the swap must happen concurrently.
"We had wanted to raid the building because we had enough men. However, they had snipers planted in the aircraft and the raid could lead to civilian casualties," he said.
The four-day ordeal finally ended on Aug 10, when Ramli and Osman returned to Malaysia safely.
Zaman went on to resolve other hostage-taking situations in the country, including the Pudu Prison in 1986 and the Kuantan prison 1987.