Police and MMEA personnel rescuing the victim's of the Thursday morning helicopter crash. - Photo: Bernama
JOHOR BARU: Two out of the five police officers involved in a helicopter crash during the Multilateral Nuclear Security Detection Exercise (Mitsatom 2025) on Thursday (July 10) morning are reported to be in critical condition and require respiratory assistance.
Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail told Bernama that the other three victims are in stable condition and are currently being treated at Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA), Johor Baru.
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He added that all five received immediate medical attention with the help of specialist doctors at the hospital soon after the incident.
"With the aid and expertise of the doctors at HSA, I believe we can provide the best possible care for them. We pray for their recovery so they can resume their duties as usual," he told Bernama during a visit to HSA on Thursday.
Mohd Khalid noted that three of the victims are members of the police Air Unit, while the other two are stationed at the Tanjung Kupang police station.
The police-owned AS355 helicopter reportedly crashed near the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Jetty in Gelang Patah while performing a ceremonial flypast as part of the Mitsatom 2025 exercises, involving Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) confirmed the crash involved an AS355N helicopter, with the registration number 9M-PHG. According to CAAM, the helicopter, operated by the police, took off from the Tanjung Kupang police station at 9:51am, with five aboard, including the pilot.
Addressing claims that the helicopter was outdated, Mohd Khalid asserted that age was not a critical issue if proper maintenance is conducted.
"Age is not the problem; proper maintenance is key. What happened is beyond our control," he stated.
The IGP also assured that the police will take care of all involved officers and their families' welfare.
CAAM has announced that further investigation will be carried out by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau under the Transport Ministry, in accordance with Part XXVI of the Civil Aviation Regulations 2016.
Meanwhile, Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director Comm Datuk Seri Azmi Abu Kassim identified the five victims as ACP Faizul Mohammad (the helicopter pilot), Supt Ahmad Bustamin Baharom (co-pilot), Corporal Adeline Liu Yan Siu (air observer), Sergeant Siti Latipa Khairuddin (Tanjung Kupang police station) and Constable RG Devendran (Iskandar Puteri district police headquarters).
He said the police had also set up an internal investigation team to assist the Air Accident Investigation Bureau in probing the crash.
Azmi said the police will also establish a committee to assess the current use of the helicopter by the Air Unit.
"A committee will be appointed immediately to conduct a holistic evaluation specifically on the AS355N helicopter, considering its service duration of over 28 years, reduced capabilities and other technical factors," he said when contacted.
Comm Azmi added that the five personnel were conducting training to test the effectiveness of the country's preparedness and response in dealing with nuclear security incidents involving the smuggling of radioactive and nuclear materials across land and sea borders.
Meanwhile, Mohd Khalid, in a statement, advised the public not to speculate or circulate videos of the incident as it could interfere with investigations or affect the sensitivities of the victims' families.
"Any further information will be communicated from time to time through PDRM's official channels," he said.- Bernama
