KOTA TINGGI, Feb 27 — Three military trainers from the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Reserve Officer Training Unit (Palapes) claimed trial at the Sessions Court here today in connection with the death of an undergraduate cadet last year.
Major Mohd Azmi Abu Bakar, 40, Captain Muhamad Bahauddin, 30, and Warrant Officer Mohd Norbuangani Mislan, 41, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out before Judge Hayda Faridzal Abu Hasan.
According to the charge sheet, the three accused committed an act that caused the death of 22-year-old cadet Syamsul Haris Shamsudin with the intention of causing bodily harm likely to cause his death.
The offence was allegedly committed between 2pm and 3pm on July 28 last year at the Ulu Tiram Utara shooting range, located within the Army Combat Training Centre in this district.
The trio was charged under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, read together with Section 34 of the same Act for joint liability.
Johor State Prosecution Director Abdul Ghafar Ab Latif and Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Afiqah Musa led the prosecution, while all three accused appeared in court unrepresented.
During the proceedings, the prosecution proposed bail at RM50,000 for each accused, complete with one surety and the surrender of their international passports.
However, the three military men immediately appealed to the judge, pleading for a lower sum due to financial constraints.
Judge Hayda Faridzal initially agreed to reduce the bail to RM25,000 while maintaining the passport condition.
Pushing for further leniency, Mohd Azmi, acting as the unofficial spokesman for the trio, submitted a second, more impassioned appeal to the bench. He emphasized that the three men had served with the Malaysian Armed Forces for a long time and maintained pristine disciplinary records throughout their service.
“We have served for more than 20 years, [and] we have never been brought to court,” Mohd Azmi told the judge. “We also have children and wives. We will make sure we appear in court; that is our promise.”
Noting that the charges against the accused were serious in nature, the judge nonetheless agreed to further ease the conditions following the mitigation. Bail was finalized at RM20,000 for each accused with one surety, coupled with a strict order to report to their nearest police station.
The court fixed April 13 for the next mention of the case and the submission of documents. The date will also allow the accused time to appoint legal counsel, and for a watching brief lawyer to be appointed to observe the proceedings on behalf of the victim’s family.
Syamsul Haris was pronounced dead on July 28 last year while undergoing reserve officer training. The tragedy was initially classified as a sudden death report (SDR).
However, on December 2, the Attorney General’s Chambers directed the police to reclassify and investigate the case as murder following a thorough review of the investigative findings.
