KOTA KINABALU: A police corporal told the High Court here yesterday that he was shot from all directions after one of the armed men spoke something to him in Suluk.
Commando Azman Ampung, 38, who hails from Semporna, was testifying before Justice Stephen Chung that one of the armed men who stood 30 feet from him, said in Suluk: “Ayau kamu rindi, muit kamu,” (Don’t be here, go back) while his hand gave a signal asking Azman to move.
In recalling the incident, Azman said he heard the man repeating his words with his hand giving the signal, three times.
“At that time, I just kept quiet and after the man noticed that I and my friend Corporal Tarmizi did not do anything, he, who was escorted by his two armed men said ‘Allahuakbar’ twice, and fired shots to me,” said the fourth prosecution witness in the trial of 29 accused persons charged with committing terrorism acts at several places in Lahad Datu, Semporna and Sandakan between February 12, 2013 and April 10, 2013.
The nephew of the late self-styled Sulu Sultanate III Datu Jamalul Kiram, Datu Amirbahar Hushin Kiram was also charged together with the other accused under the Penal Code.
The offences carry the mandatory death sentence by hanging while the rest provide for life imprisonment and a fine, upon conviction.
The trial, which entered its second week, was held at a hall used as an open court at the central prisons in Kepayan here under tight security checks.
“I felt at that time that there were many shots fired at me and my friend and some of them, I did not know from where,” recalled Azman during examination-in-chief by Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail.
He said the shots were too many as could be seen from the many dust coming down from the oil palm tree where he took cover from those shots.
To a question by Abdul Gani, he said two minutes later he felt cold on his left thigh and realised that he was injured.
“After my thigh was injured, I still did not see any of our personnel from our team returning shots at our enemies while at the same time my partner Tarmizi told me that he was injured too on his left calf,” he further recalled.
Azman, who was also injured at the back of his waist, further testified that he went to get Tarmizi, who was also wounded on his left arm and said to Tarmizi, “Buddy, what are we waiting for, let’s fire shots to them,” and started to return shots at the enemies.
Azman told the court that before the assault in their area of responsibility occurred, he and his friends received instruction to do a close recce for Ops Daulat on March 1, 2013.
“We entered our sector at about 6am in a tactical manner, which was in pairs or ‘buddy system’, and my buddy was Tarmizi,” said Azman.
He said when they were approaching the sector, their team leader DSP Anwar instructed them to stop and to stay frozen in standard line defence, but he and Tarmizi were out 30 feet from the planned standard line.
“At about 9.45am and out 30 feet from the standard line, we were spotted and seen by about five to six armed men, and we also saw them,” said Azman, adding that he saw some of them were armed and some not but there were machetes on their waists.
“When the armed men saw us, one of them was seen calling their friends, inviting them to see us and there were more armed men coming, which was about 20 to 40 men. After that, one of them who seemed to be their leader arranged the position of their men and some of them were instructed to approach us.
“I saw the one, who acted as the leader, holding a long piece of wood with the top attached with something like a piece of A4 size white paper moving towards us and escorted by two men which were armed, and stopped 60 feet from us, and the leader stood 30 feet from us and spoke in Suluk to me and Tarmizi,” said Azman, who understands Suluk and can speak the language but not so fluent.
When asked by Abdul Gani about his injuries, he answered that he received treatment at Lahad Datu Hospital and was also given an adjustment disorder treatment counseling.
To another question by Abdul Gani, he said after he was shot at his back waist, he was asked to pull back and saw the other personnel from other sectors coming to give help.
The trial continues on January 27.