Tag Archives: VAT 69

Dosa Pengganas Sulu Tidak Pernah Terpadam – Abu Bakar Omar

UTUSAN: MASIH segar dalam ingatan mayat anggota polis terapung di bawah rumah di Kampung Simunul, Semporna, lewat petang 3 Mac 2013. Kampung yang sesak dengan rumah papan dibina di atas air itu disambungkan dengan pelantar pejalan kaki yang juga diperbuat daripada papan.

Mayat berkenaan tidak mampu dikeluarkan oleh anggota pasukan keselamatan berikutan keadaan sekeliling yang masih berbahaya selepas sekumpulan pegawai dan anggota Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) diserang hendap ketika melakukan pemeriksaan terhadap pihak yang dipercayai ada kaitan dengan pengganas Sulu di kawasan itu pada pukul 7.30 malam, 2 Mac 2013.

Anggota pasukan keselamatan tidak berjaya memasuki kawasan berkenaan yang sebelum itu diserbu oleh Allahyarham Superitendan Ibrahim Lebar yang mengetuai sepasukan anggota polis dalam misi menahan tali barut Agbimuddin Kiram, iaitu ketua pengganas Sulu yang mendakwa dirinya sebagai adik Jamalul Kiram III yang kononnya Sultan Sulu.

Keadaan terlalu bahaya untuk anggota pasukan keselamatan memasuki kawasan itu bagi menarik keluar mayat anggota polis yang terbunuh dalam kejadian berbalas tembak dengan pengganas Sulu pada malam 2 Mac. Ini kerana dibimbangi masih ada saki-baki pengganas Sulu yang bersembunyi di dalam rumah atau bot di sekitar kawasan pertempuran berkenaan dan hanya menunggu masa untuk membunuh lebih ramai anggota pasukan keselamatan.

Enam anggota polis gugur dalam kejadian itu. Ada antara mereka yang dibunuh dengan amat kejam, iaitu leher dipenggal, selain ada yang dicungkil biji mata.

Hanya pada senja 3 Mac 2013, anggota pasukan keselamatan yang dikatakan terdiri daripada etnik Iban dalam Pasukan Gerakan Am (PGA), berjaya menyusup masuk ke kawasan pertempuran itu untuk membawa keluar mayat enam anggota polis yang terkorban. Kira-kira pukul 9 malam, Pangkalan Polis Marin yang tidak jauh dari Kampung Simunul diserang dengan sekurang-kurangnya tiga das tembakan oleh pengganas Sulu. Seluruh pekan Semporna bertukar menjadi amat sepi berikutan tiada sesiapa pun yang berani keluar.

Maka bermula dari saat itulah, pasukan keselamatan mengambil tindakan memerangi pengganas Sulu yang sudah menyusup masuk ke Kampung Tanduo di Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu sejak awal Februari 2013 dan memulakan keganasan dengan membunuh dua anggota polis komando VAT 69 pada pagi 1 Mac 2013.

Ops Daulat yang dilancarkan selama kira-kira sebulan setengah mulai 5 Mac 2013 menyaksikan anggota Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) dan PDRM berperang dengan pengganas Sulu di Gugusan Labian sekitar Felda Sahabat.

Bagi mengelakkan Agbimuddin Kiram ditahan atau terbunuh dalam pertempuran, pengganas Sulu yang mencerobohi Kampung Tanduo kerana mendakwa Sabah adalah wilayah di bawah jajahan takluk Kesultanan Sulu, dikatakan terpaksa melarikan beliau kembali ke selatan Filipina, dipercayai Tawi Tawi.

Pengikut Agbimuddin Kiram yang taksub dengan pemimpin mereka dikatakan terpaksa mendayung sampan iaitu taktik terbaik untuk mengelak daripada dikesan oleh radar pasukan keselamatan yang sensitif terhadap haba enjin motor sangkut atau enjin bot.

Seramai 63 pengganas Sulu berjaya dibunuh manakala lapan anggota PDRM dan dua anggota ATM gugur di medan pertempuran. Agbimuddin Kiram, 74, dilaporkan meninggal dunia akibat serangan jantung di kediamannya di Barangay Tubig Indangan di pekan Siminul, Tawi-Tawi pada Januari 2015. Sebelum itu, abangnya, Jamalul Kiram III meninggal dunia kerana masalah jantung dan buah pinggang pada 20 Oktober 2013.

Pencerobohan dan pembunuhan dilakukan pengganas Sulu yang sudah berlalu dua tahun lalu bukan setakat diratapi dan ditangisi oleh anggota keluarga 10 anggota pasukan keselamatan terbabit, terutama anggota polis yang dibunuh dengan kejam, malah rakyat Malaysia secara keseluruhannya.

Kebiadaban pengganas Sulu mencerobohi Kampung Tanduo dan beberapa kampung lain di sekitar Gugusan Labian di Lahad Datu hingga memaksa ratusan penduduk kampung melarikan diri dan berlindung di dewan orang ramai adalah kepahitan yang amat sukar untuk ditelan oleh rakyat negara ini.

Hingga saat ini, sudah pastilah anggota keluarga pasukan kese­lamatan yang terkorban itu tidak mampu dengan mudah melupakan kejadian berkenaan, apatah lagi untuk memaafkan pengganas Sulu atau pemimpin mereka.

Semoga Allah SWT melimpahkan rahmat-Nya ke atas roh Allahyarham Asisten Superintendan Zulkifli Mamat dan Sarjan Sabarudin Daud dari VAT 69 yang terkorban dalam pertempuran di Kampung Tanduo pada 1 Mac 2013.

Doa juga dipanjatkan untuk Allahyarham Superintendan Ibrahim Lebar, Sarjan Baharin Hamit, Sarjan Aziz Sarikun, Koperal Salam Togiran dan Lans Koperal Mohd Azrul Tukiran yang gugur dalam medan perjuangan di Kampung Simunul pada 2 Mac 2013.

Seorang lagi anggota polis yang terbunuh dalam pertempuran di Kampung Simunul ialah Asisten Superintendan Micheal Padel. Mayat keenam-enam pegawai dan anggota polis terbabit dijumpai dalam keadaan amat mengerikan.

Al-Fatihah juga dihadiahkan kepada dua anggota tentera yang terbabit dalam Ops Daulat. Prebet Ahmad Hurairah Ismail gugur dalam pertempuran di Sungai Nyamuk, di Felda Sahabat dan Prebet Ahmad Farhan Roslan pula terkorban dalam kemalangan jalan raya apabila trak yang dinaikinya terbalik di Chenderawasih, Felda Sahabat.

Dalam keadaan luka yang tidak akan sembuh itu masih membusung dalam jiwa isteri dan anak-anak dan keseluruhan anggota keluarga 10 anggota pasukan keselamatan itu, tiba-tiba Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai, Nurul Izzah Anwar boleh berinteraksi dan duduk semeja berbual dengan anak Jamalul Kiram III, iaitu Jacel H Kiram di Manila pada awal bulan ini.

Nurul Izzah mendakwa tidak pernah kenal Jacel sebelum pertemuan itu dan Jacel ialah seorang daripada 15 tetamu yang dijemput penganjur program, iaitu Malis Hal Ehwal Filipina dan Institut Asia Untuk Demokrasi, Pejabat Datuk Bandar Manila dan Pejabat Naib Presiden Filipina.

Beliau juga mendakwa mereka yang menghadiri program berkenaan bergambar dengannya sebagai tanda sokongan terhadap laporan Kumpulan Kerja Mengenai Penahanan Tanpa Bicara Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (PBB) yang menggesa agar Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dibebaskan. Nurul Izzah mendakwa kesal atas kesedihan yang dialami anggota keluarga anggota pasukan negara yang terbunuh dalam pencerobohan pengganas Sulu.

Sama ada secara sedar atau tidak, Nurul Izzah sememangnya telah melukakan hati kebanyakan rakyat Malaysia yang tidak mungkin boleh memaafkan dosa pengganas Sulu, termasuklah anggota keluarga Jamilul Kiram III.

Tiada sesiapa pun di negara ini yang menyokong keganasan sebagai cara untuk mengatasi masalah. Tidak ada siapa pun rakyat Malaysia, khususnya rakyat Sabah yang menyokong tindakan pengikut Jamalul Kiram III memulakan perang ke atas Kerajaan Malaysia semata-mata kerana mendakwa Sabah adalah milik Kesultanan Sulu.

Sekali imbas, aspek pertemuan Nurul Izzah dengan Jacel boleh didakwa oleh Nurul Izzah sebagai tidak disengajakan kerana beliau hakikatnya menghadiri program untuk mendapatkan sokongan masyarakat antarabangsa untuk membebaskan bapanya. Namun demikian, sebagai ahli politik dan antara pemimpin PKR, Nurul Izzah harus lebih berhati-hati dengan siapa ingin ditemuinya di luar negara. Ini kerana jika beliau beranggapan pertemuan dengan Jacel tidak lebih sekadar pertemuan biasa sesama pemimpin politik, ia ternyata silap.

Nurul Izzah tidak boleh bersahabat dengan Jacel kerana Jacel ialah antara pewaris kepemimpinan Jamalul Kiram yang bertanggungjawab atas pencerobohan Kampung Tanduo di Lahad Datu yang turut bererti mencabar dan menggugat kedaulatan Malaysia sebagai negara berdaulat.

Jauh lebih penting daripada itu ialah Nurul Izzah telah melakukan kesilapan bertemu seorang wanita yang tidak pernah memadamkan hasrat anggota keluarganya menuntut Sabah sebagai wilayah Kesultanan Sulu. Hal ini amat berbahaya dari aspek keselamatan dan ketenteraman awam Sabah khasnya dan Malaysia amnya.

Rakyat Malaysia, khususnya di Sabah tidak mahu lagi keselamatan dan ketenteraman awam di negeri di bawah bayu itu digugat oleh mana-mana pihak.

PENULIS ialah pesara tentera berpangkat kolonel dan kini penulis bebas dalam aspek sosiokeselamatan dan hubungan antarabangsa.

LAHAD DATU: ‘I Saw His Face As He Fell’

Some foreign and some of our opposition link-medias are trying to make the Malaysian government and our security forces look bad on the Lahad Datu incident.

Please read: List And Photos of Policemen Killed In Semporna Shooting

People who only read their stories might believe those media reports.

That makes me very sad and angry because I love my country very much.

I think that it is unfair for anybody to twist the facts for their own agendas.

I was shocked reading how cruel are those Sulu militants who illegally entered our country and killed our security forces.

They are so cruel that they even mutilated the bodies of fallen heroes after they killed them.

After what they did therir leader asked for a cease fire but keep on shooting our security forces.

Please read: Jamalul Kiram III Called For Ceasefire? Is This A Computer Game?

Please read this report from The New Straits Times:

(NST) ANGER AND SADNESS: VAT 69 commandos relive the nightmare of seeing their comrades get killed

LAHAD DATU: It was 3am and  pitch dark on the  heavily fortified beach we were on after a long, eventful day.
 
The previous day, security forces  had launched a massive attack on Kampung Tanduo where terrorists from Sulu had been holed up since  Feb 12. 
 
The fear was that they could have  broken through the security cordon and entered nearby villages.
 
Most of the security  personnel  around us had their eyes glued to their night vision binoculars  sweeping the waters ahead and the vast area behind us.
 
Our discussion on what we were planning to do later in the morning was interrupted by a security personnel who walked up from behind  unnoticed.
 
We stood up and turned his way, answering his “salam” that greeted  us.
 
The personnel, whom from then on we addressed as “Abang” asked us what we were doing there.
 
Our conversation revealed what many had wanted to know about what had happened on March 1, when the country was rocked by  news that two security personnel he referred to as “brothers”, were killed by the terrorists in an ambush.
 
Before us stood the commando  who was tasked with maintaining  the security cordon around Kampung Tanduo under Ops Sulu (now  codenamed Ops Daulat).
 
Initially, it seemed impossible to get Abang, whose face was weather-beaten and weary, to open up to us. He was not convinced we were  journalists until we showed him our press credentials.
 
It was clear to us then that as  much as he didn’t want to, as he had no authority to talk to civilians,  he wanted to defend his fellow comrades who had been accused  by some quarters as being part of a  staged “drama”.
 
Abang was one of roughly 40 VAT 69 commandos deployed in the first of three front lines to tighten  the security cordon.
 
VAT 69 is the main force. The second line is the police elite strike force, followed by the general operations force.
 
That morning, in a six-layer “U” formation, the VAT 69 team started  inching closer into the terrorists’  hideout in the village that was located several hundred metres from  the shore. Metres ahead of them  was an incline.
 
As they moved further in, personnel in the first line, which included fallen heroes Assistant Su perintendent Zulkifli Mamat, 29, and Sergeant Sabarudin Daud, 46, stopped in their tracks.
 
All personnel behind them, also stopped. They were suddenly face to face with several terrorists who had been hiding in a chest-deep ditch which was camouflaged with dried palm leaves.
 
“They all suddenly stood up and both sides had weapons trained at each other. Our brothers in front  were training their M-16s down at the terrorists… there were several  seconds of silence.
 
“We had instructions not to shoot  on sight as our mission was to seek and capture.
 
“During this stand-off, which  lasted a few seconds, we noticed more of them behind a slope, just behind the ditch.
 
“It was in that few seconds when their snipers from the slope shot our two brothers in the head,” he said, anger and sadness evident in his eyes.
 
Heavy exchange of gunfire ensued, and the commandos killed 12  terrorists.
 
Abang said when the shooting stopped, his team did not pursue the terrorists as they were uncertain of the enemies’ strength and numbers.
 
“I saw it all from where I was. I saw a glimpse of his face as he fell  back after being hit… it killed me,” he said, referring to one of his men who was shot. Abang then turned  and walked away.
 
As we, too, turned to walk back to  our base, we were approached by another personnel who had earlier passed us by as we were talking to Abang.
 
This VAT 69 commando, who  wanted to be identified only as Agus, was also part of Abang’s  team.
 
Pointing towards Abang, who by then had almost disappeared into the night, Agus said: “He’s very  affected by Tuan Zulkifli’s death. He saw him being shot in the head. He could not do anything but continued shooting at the enemy, even as Tuan Zulkifli’s lifeless body brushed against his leg after hitting the ground”.
 
Agus said the team had, for several mornings, been moving further into the village, setting up  camps as they advanced.
 
On that fateful morning’s mission, Agus was positioned in the  third row.
 
“When one of my brothers was shot in the leg during the shoot- out, my comrades in the fourth row pulled him further back.
 
“He was bleeding so heavily that I had to crouch to stop the bleeding with my left hand while I held my M-16 with my right hand, support ing the buttstock with my right  knee, for about half an hour.
 
“All this while the rest of us continued firing towards the ditch  and slope, until the enemy retreated,” he said.
 
At this point, another personnel who was standing close by joined us. His eyes were glistening with tears of anger when he told us how he felt with regard to the accusations that the Kampung Tanduo ambush was a political ploy. His demeanour changed.
 
It was difficult for both of us to hold back our emotions when this six-foot commando, whose face  was thick in grime, cried as he told us this: “It is something that will haunt you forever, seeing the lifeless bodies of your comrades mutilated. Imagine holding a family  member whose body had been mutilated, in your arms.
 
“One of them was my former squad member, who had a full life ahead of him,”  said the personnel  who was assigned to the water village in Kampung Seri Jaya,  Simunul in Semporna, to retrieve  the bodies of six personnel killed there during an ambush last Sat urday.
 
In the two separate ambushes, eight members of the security  forces were killed.
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