Tear-filled memory of past heroism

PUTRAJAYA: Meeting former Army Field Commander, Lt-Jen (Rtd) Datuk Seri Mohd Zaini Mohd Said, who led Ops Subuh, was crucial to Mejor Mohammad Idham Abdullah Thani’s success in embodying Mohd Zaini’s character in a reenactment at the 2024 Warriors’ Day celebration.

The celebration was held at Dataran Pahlawan here yesterday.

Mohammad Idham, 35, said the two meetings were complemented by watching several interviews of Mohd Zaini on YouTube to delve into his personality.

“I serve in the military and have never acted, so I took the initiative to portray the main character in Ops Subuh.

“From what I observed, Datuk Mohd Zaini is a firm individual with strong leadership qualities.

“Meeting him and watching his videos not only helped me embody the character but also made him my role model,” he told Bernama.

The pantomime titled Ops Subuh is a collaboration between the Second Malaysian Infantry Brigade Commander, Brig-Jen Datuk Asri Shukor, and Staff Officer II Training of the 4th Division Headquarters, Mejar Fitri Vinoth Ridzuan Sugumaran, performed by 85 officers and members of the Armed Forces and police.

Ops Subuh revolves around the skirmish between the national security forces and a group of individuals calling themselves “Al-Maunah” at Bukit Jenalik in Sauk, Perak, who planned to overthrow the government in July 2000.

Sharing his experience of playing the lead role, Mohammad Idham, who has served in the Armed Forces for 15 years, said the character left a deep impression on him and inspired him to enhance his service in the team for the country’s sake.

“I was deeply affected and felt like I was actually at the scene during the incident,” he said.

Echoing Mohammad Idham, Insp Mohd Zaquan Mohd Zain, 32, said his first-time experience being selected as a pantomime performer was highly appreciated and wholeheartedly embraced to ensure the performance was successful in front of guests, including His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia.

Playing the role of Deputy Commissioner Datuk Abdul Razak Mohd Yusoff, Mohd Zaquan said he always pretended that no audience was watching to avoid being nervous and anxious.

“I’m a commando and have never been involved in things like this. So, to make myself comfortable, I had to control my mindset and mentality.

“I acted as if no one was watching because I get anxious when I have to carry out responsibilities outside my job scope,” said the soldier who has served with the 69 Commando Unit in Ulu Kinta for six years.

The native of Besut, Terengganu, said the experience of performing the pantomime left a deep impression, especially when witnessing the scene where two security personnel involved in Ops Subuh, Detective Kpl R. Sanghadevan from the Special Branch and commando of the Special Operations Force, Trooper Mathew Medan, were brutally tortured by the Al-Maunah group, leading to their deaths.

“Although it was just a reenactment, I felt sad, emotional and deeply touched. Moreover, one of the fallen heroes was a commando,” he said.

Regarding the production of the pantomime, Brig-Jen Asri, who served as the producer, said it was not only based on reading material but also included sessions with Mohd Zaini and Abdul Razak to get an accurate depiction of the incident marked with bloodshed.

“We started on July 10 and have taken almost 21 days.

“The time we took was for the reference process and meeting the sources available, including personally meeting the figures directly involved in this incident,” he said.

Brig-Jen Asri, who has served in the Armed Forces for 33 years, said the success of the pantomime also depended on the selection of actors to ensure that the chosen individuals had the character and physique of the personnel who served during Ops Subuh.

“We chose actors based on their resemblance to the real individuals, including their height and physique, to ensure an accurate portrayal,” he said, adding that they consulted with the Drama Unit of Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) for guidance on casting.

Meanwhile, Fitri Vinoth, 42, applied his experience from producing two musical pantomimes, Leftenan Adnan and Kanang Anak Langkau, to ensure the smooth execution of Ops Subuh.

“This pantomime was assigned to Datuk Asri, who reached out to me for assistance.

“I used my experience to help and we had extensive discussions on actor selection, character roles and supporting roles,” said Fitri, who hails from Raub, Pahang.

On Warriors’ Day, Ops Subuh was successfully performed by the Armed Forces and police officers and personnel.

The special performance, which marked the 24th anniversary of the tragic event that claimed two lives, brought tears to many in the audience.