Born under hail of bullets
LAHAD DATU: Five-year-old “Puteri Daulat” may not have been born into a royal household, but dramatic circumstances at the time of Farhana Rashidi’s birth have earned her the princess monicker from Kampung Tanduo folk.
Farhana was born at Lahad Datu Hospital, on March 1, 2013, when the first shootout began between Malaysian police and Sulu sultanate fighters led by Agbimuddin Kiram.
It was the same day her father Rashidi Inou, 46, learnt about the death of two VAT 69 commandos — Assistant Superintendent Zulkifli Mamat and Sergeant Sabaruddin Daud — following the intrusion, which occurred about 10am in Kampung Tanduo, dubbed ground zero during the armed conflict.
Rashidi said after Farhana was born, he took his wife and their children home to Tanjung Batu.
“Although we were warned about the conflict, I was adamant about returning home to retrieve our belongings.
“I had to flee the village for fear of safety,” he said at his house in Tanjung Batu.
Despite his wife still coping with confinement after delivering their baby girl, Rashidi said the family of four trekked for a few kilometres in the night to seek refuge at the Cenderawasih Hall evacuation centre.
“Once at the centre, we were greeted by other villagers, who took interest in our newborn. They suggested we called her ‘Puteri Daulat’ and the name has stuck with Farhana ever since,” he said.
Malaysian security forces, then, had code-named the operation “Op Daulat” to flush out gunmen from Kampung Tanduo and nearby villages throughout the conflict. The operation ended on March 24, 2013.
Apart from “Puteri Daulat”, Farhana was also sometimes called “Puteri Tanduo” by villagers. The girl is, however, fondly called “baby” by her family members.
“She is still young and doesn’t know the story behind her nickname.
“When the time comes, I will tell her everything. I don't mind the villagers calling her ‘Puteri Daulat’, but I will still call her ‘baby’,” he said with a smile.
When asked about Farhana’s talents, Rashidi said his daughter enjoyed singing and one of her favourite songs was Aurora by the band, Estranged.
“Maybe I have influenced her interest in singing,” said the father, whose own band often performed at wedding functions.