Besut police chief loses reattached thumb due to infection

KEMAMAN (Bernama): Besut district police chief Supt Mohd Zamri Mohd Rowi had to undergo another operation on Friday (Aug 16) to remove his reattached right thumb after it developed an infection.

Terengganu police chief Datuk Aidi Ismail said that Supt Mohd Zamri was reported stable after undergoing the second operation at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM) in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan.

Last Thursday (Aug 15), Supt Mohd Zamri was attacked with a parang by a mentally unstable man in front of his house, which resulted in him losing his right thumb.

"The first operation to reattach the thumb succeeded on the day of the incident and took about 12 hours starting at 5pm.

"But on the next day (Friday), doctors had to take it off due to sepsis and the infection had reached his brain,” he told reporters here Sunday (Aug 18).

He said Supt Mohd Zamri was still dependent on respiratory aid and was expected to take three months to fully recover before returning to work.

Earlier, Aidi witnessed the handover of duties ceremony from Supt Mohd Said Ibrahim to Supt Hanyan Ramlan as the new Kemaman district police chief. Supt Mohd Said has been transferred to the Seremban police headquarters.

Also present was Kuala Terengganu district police chief ACP Abdul Rahim Md Din.

In another development, Aidi urged the public, especially fishermen who saw or found a dead body at sea, to report to the police or the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency immediately.

"There have been claims that fishermen have found the body of a man believed to have been missing while kayaking in the waters of Mersing, Johor on Aug 8, but did not inform the authorities.

"Therefore, I call on any fisherman or members of the public who saw or have any clues on the location of the body to report to the authorities immediately, " he said.

Search and rescue (SAR) mission for Singaporean Tan Tan Soon Soon, 62, who went missing while kayaking in the waters of Mersing, Johor has entered its 10th day Sunday.

The search is focused on 100-nautical miles from the coast of Merchang, Marang to the Kuala Terengganu estuary. - Bernama