SIMUNUL’S WOUNDS FROM 2013 INTRUSION STILL VISIBLE TODAY

By Noorazlina Jindeh

SEMPORNA, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Three bullet marks on a house in Kampung Simunul here, remnants of an attack by intruders from southern Philippines on March 2, 2013, remain visible to this day – silent witnesses to a dark chapter in the nation’s history.

The house owner, Norlinda Mohamad, 44, said she was not at home when the incident occurred and only found out about it through a phone call from her cousin, who informed her that all villagers were being evacuated urgently to Sekolah Kebangsaan Simunul.

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“At about 7 pm, after Maghrib prayers, my cousin called and said there was a shootout in Simunul and that they were running to the school to seek shelter.

“The next morning, I returned from Tawau, but we were not allowed to enter Simunul. Only after two weeks were we permitted to go back home,” the mother of three told Bernama.

The sundry shop operator said that when she finally returned, she found her house in disarray, with bullet marks still clearly visible on the back wall. Although nearly 12 years have passed, she has deliberately kept the marks as a reminder of what happened.

Meanwhile, Kampung Simunul village head, Ismail Saraman, 61, said that during the tragedy, he had not yet been appointed as village chief, but was directly involved in efforts to help bring out the bodies of fallen security personnel.

The father of 13 said it was already dark when the incident unfolded, and he was at the Seafeast jetty when he heard gunfire.

Not knowing the cause of the shots, which he initially thought were fireworks, Ismail rushed home to rescue his children and wife before taking them to the school that was being used as a temporary shelter.

“At about 1 am, the police called me and asked about the location of the incident. I had never entered Lorong Lima, where the shooting took place,” he said, adding that from the outside the premises looked like an ordinary house.

However, once inside, Ismail saw several small bridges connecting rooms that resembled caves.

Recalling the moment he helped carry the remains of fallen security personnel, Ismail said he felt deeply saddened, especially after seeing their condition, having been brutalised by the intruders.

“It tore my heart out to see our men lying there, and it’s only natural to feel anger towards those (intruders) who treated our personnel so cruelly,” said Ismail, who has three children serving in the security forces.

For Mohd Aizam Ibnul, 20, who was just seven when the incident happened, the memories are still vivid. He recalls leaving the village at night with four family members after hearing gunshots.

The experience left him gripped by fear and anxiety for almost three months, and even after more than 10 years, the bloody incident comes back to mind every time he walks past the bridge near the scene.

“Alhamdulillah, things are calm now. Police patrol the area regularly and we feel safe,” he said, adding that villagers plan to build a memorial to honour the national heroes who died in the tragedy.

A Bernama check at the scene found that the bridge where the shootout took place has been closed, while the surrounding houses have been demolished.

The incident in Kampung Simunul claimed the lives of six police personnel, namely ACP Ibrahim Lebar, DSP Michael Padel, Sergeant Major Baharin Hamit, Sergeant Major Abdul Aziz Sarikon, Sergeant Salam Togiran and Corporal Mohd Azrul Tukiran.

In February 2013, Malaysia was rocked by the armed intrusion of Sulu militants at Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu, which led to a battle with security forces on March 1 in Kampung Tanduo and subsequently in Kampung Simunul.

A total of 68 Sulu militants were killed in the operations before the conflict was declared over on April 10, 2013.

Kampung Simunul is located within the Budaya state constituency, one of 73 seats being contested in the 17th Sabah state election.

Polling is scheduled for Nov 29.

For the latest news on the state election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/sabah.

-- BERNAMA