BUKIT KAYU HITAM, Nov 26 ― Despite facing unseen threats, General Operations Force (GOF) personnel remain undeterred in their task to stamp out smuggling activities along the country’s borders.
GOF 3rd Battalion operations officer Inspector Khor Kai Zhen said getting exposed to danger is part of being in law enforcement, but they could reduce the risk with the optimum level of preparedness.
“Like what happened here yesterday (the shooting incident involving a GOF personnel) when they (smugglers) see tight border security being enforced by our security forces, they feel like exacting revenge, so they took a shot.
“Had they wanted to distract us, they would have fired from their air rifles, have occurred many times before, but no one was injured then,” he said when met during a scouting operation at the site of the shooting incident in which GOF personnel Lance Corporal Muhammad Amirul Amir was slightly injured near a command post at the Malaysia-Thailand border.
Khor said although an air rifle was used, the bullet could penetrate into the body and cause serious injury, especially if it was a close range shot.
Meanwhile, GOF 5th Platoon leader Inspector Muhammad Adlizan Admancur said four shooting incidents in a month is quite a high number in a short period but it has never affected him emotionally in carrying out his duty.
“We carry on as usual, what happened will not break our spirit to continue protecting the peace in our country,” he said.
In the 6.15pm incident yesterday, Muhammad Amirul, 26, was grazed at his abdomen by a ball bearing after being shot by air rifle from across the border, while on patrol at the Malaysia-Thailand border near the M16 post.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador was reported to have said previously that the shooting incident at the border that killed GOF Corporal Baharuddin Ramli, 54, on Tuesday was the third incident this month. Baharuddin was posthumously promoted to sergeant for his bravery.
The first shooting incident was reported to have happened on November 12, while the second occurred on Nov 15, while Muhammad Amirul’s case was the fourth this month. ― Bernama
