A homecoming cut short for commando

KOTA KINABALU: Mejar Mohd Zahir Armaya's mother, Rusunjan Mohammad (pic), was buying supplies at the wet market when she received a call that her son was killed during an army demonstration.

The 57-year-old from Tuaran was actually shopping for something to cook for a family dinner, as Zahir was expected to "balik kampung" after seven years of not setting foot at Kampung Indai, where Rusunjan and relatives from her side reside.

"He called at around 7am, saying he wants to go back to Tuaran for dinner on Wednesday night (Sept 4)... He asked for 'ikan sembilang'," Rusunjan, who appeared calm, told reporters outside the Queen Elizabeth Hospital 1's Forensics Department.

"It was at the pasar that someone from their office called me to inform the grave news.

"As a mother, I accept what happened... I wish he could be buried here, but his wife's wish was for him to be buried in Perak," she said, adding that she last met Zahir, her firstborn, in Kuala Lumpur when she visited last month.

Meanwhile, his uncle, Mirdat Mohammad, who is Rusunjan's younger brother, said the families hoped the authorities would conduct proper investigations so they could learn what went wrong.

"While we accepted his fate, we hope it is thoroughly investigated and if there is any errors (kesilapan), we hope it would not be repeated in future.

"We do not wish to blame anyone, there are so many assumptions and all we can hope is the police and the army investigate to unearth the cause of incident," he said, while asking everyone not to politicise the issue.

Meanwhile, the remains will be brought to As Salam Mosque in Lok Kawi after the post-mortem.

Thereafter, his remains will be flown back to Kuala Lumpur at 9.25pm on Wednesday (Sept 4) and he is expected to buried at Perak.