‘HE SAID HE WOULD BE BACK HOME’
I never thought those would be his last words, says wife of officer killed in roadblock crash
“HE (Lance Corporal Saifullah Mohamad, 32) called and told me that he missed our newborn (Muhammad Hanan Attaqi aged 51 days) and me so much.
“He was so excited because we were planning to have the cukur
jambul and aqiqah ceremony for our child next month,” said Lance Corporal Norina Bakri, 33.
Norina is the wife of Saifullah, who was killed after a three-tonne lorry rammed into the roadblock that he and other officers were manning at Jalan Canggung in Taman Pasir Putih, Pasir Gudang, yesterday.
Besides Saifullah, another policeman, Lance Corporal Mohamad Johari Rosli, 32 was killed in the 5.30am incident.
Norina, who is attached to the Johor Jaya police station, said her husband had contacted her saying that he would be involved in the four-hour roadblock operation.
“He told me that he would be joining the roadblock, and soon after his work finished, he would be back home to rest. I have never thought that those would be his last words.
“My late husband was a nice person and he was very close to our families and friends. He loved making jokes and there was never a dull moment with him,” she said.
Norina said she learnt about the incident when she received a phone call from the Johor Jaya district police chief, who told her to be strong before breaking the news.
“After learning about the incident, I called my mother-in-law and she was shocked to hear the news but we have to accept it as God’s will,” she said.
Saifullah was buried at the Kampung Bakar Bata Muslim Cemetery last night.
In Kuala Lumpur, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador conveyed his condolences to the families of Saifullah and Johari.
Saifullah was attached to the Pasir Gudang police station while Johari was from the Taman Scientex, Seri Alam station, both in Johor.
“On behalf of all members of PDRM (Royal Malaysia Police), I convey our condolences to the families of the late Lance Corporal Saifullah Mohamad and Lance Corporal Mohamad Johari Rosli, who died after being hit by a lorry at a police roadblock in Jalan Canggung, Taman Pasir Putih, Pasir Gudang, Johor.
“May the souls of these two policemen be blessed and placed among the righteous,” he said in a statement on the official PDRM Facebook page yesterday.
In the accident, Saifullah and Johari were killed on the spot.
The duo had just finished conducting a roadblock along with four colleagues when the incident took place.
Seri Alam police chief Superintendent Ismail Dollah said the policemen were busy packing the roadblock equipment into a police Land Rover when they were rammed by the lorry.
“Initial investigation showed that the driver of the lorry had lost control of the vehicle, which was travelling from Kota Masai towards Taman Pasir Puteh, and rammed into five of the policemen and the Land Rover that was parked by the side of the road.
“The impact killed the two victims immediately while three other policemen and the driver, 47, were injured. The other policeman escaped unhurt,” said Ismail.