The Best Assignments I had in Kedah:
1) Baby snatching case in Sungai Petani
I remember vividly the night the baby was found. My photographer, the TV3 reporter and I were staying at the Seri Malaysia hotel. It was 3am, and we were half asleep in bed. It had been a long day of trailing police. I received a phonecall from our SP stringer, Omar, who had accompanied a police team to find the baby.
Omar had solid police contacts and he often followed the police while they did their work. Omar said they had found the baby. I could hear the screams of a baby in the background as I spoke to Omar. I thought to myself, Gosh could it really be the missing baby? I certainly hoped so. Omar said the bay would either be brought to the police station or hospital.
I told Shah and Fazli and we headed to the hospital, the same place where the baby had been abducted three days earlier. It would be a few hours before we saw the baby.
Until that point, I had never followed a story that closely. I'd never had to stay up until 3am just to follow a police case. I hadn't much experience with crime stories in KL. While dressing up to go to hospital, I knew I'd always remember this case. How could I forget? Sleepless nights. Crazy schedules. Chasing the story while chasing the cops.
Earlier that day, the baby's father was pissed off because my story implied that family members may have been involved in the abduction. Despite pissing them off I still had to keep in contact with the father and hsi family.
But everything turned out OK once the family got back the baby, who was later named Nur Syabil Syakirin.
2) Two Brothers Die of Poisoning in Sik
The first report that came out, the one which I got a front page byline, said the
brothers died after eating nasi lemak. Chemistry Department tests later confirmed the brothers had died from a pesticide which was mixed in with their iced coffee. Their mother insists that her sons would never commit suicide. Who knows what really happened.
The day started off very slow. There was one small assignment in the morning. When I got back to the office, Joe, who was off that Saturday telephoned saying that two boys died of food poisoning in Sik. Muna quickily called Omar to sniff around, since he was closer to Sik than we were.
We didn't have much information about the deaths, so we didn't have anything to tell our bosses anyway. Usually if something big happend in Southern Kedah, including in Sik and Yan, we'd just rely on our stringers.
I briefed my boss on the stories I had: the small assignment I had in the morning AND the two brothers who died story- which mind you, I still hadn't much information regarding it. But I told my bosses anyway.
I don't know if that was the right thing to have done or not. But it did cause a lot of WORK to be done. Within minutes after I put down the phone from briefing boss, he called up again telling me to drop the mediocre morning assignment and concentre on the dead brothers story. My boss told me to go to Sik and get the story.
Sik was two hours away from Alor Star. The day just got more busier.
But I don't know why, I can't forget this story. I guess it's because of the thought of those two boys, who were aged 22 and 21. It's so sad, they were so young and had their whole life ahead of them.
( to be continued )
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1) Baby snatching case in Sungai Petani
I remember vividly the night the baby was found. My photographer, the TV3 reporter and I were staying at the Seri Malaysia hotel. It was 3am, and we were half asleep in bed. It had been a long day of trailing police. I received a phonecall from our SP stringer, Omar, who had accompanied a police team to find the baby.
Omar had solid police contacts and he often followed the police while they did their work. Omar said they had found the baby. I could hear the screams of a baby in the background as I spoke to Omar. I thought to myself, Gosh could it really be the missing baby? I certainly hoped so. Omar said the bay would either be brought to the police station or hospital.
I told Shah and Fazli and we headed to the hospital, the same place where the baby had been abducted three days earlier. It would be a few hours before we saw the baby.
Until that point, I had never followed a story that closely. I'd never had to stay up until 3am just to follow a police case. I hadn't much experience with crime stories in KL. While dressing up to go to hospital, I knew I'd always remember this case. How could I forget? Sleepless nights. Crazy schedules. Chasing the story while chasing the cops.
Earlier that day, the baby's father was pissed off because my story implied that family members may have been involved in the abduction. Despite pissing them off I still had to keep in contact with the father and hsi family.
But everything turned out OK once the family got back the baby, who was later named Nur Syabil Syakirin.
2) Two Brothers Die of Poisoning in Sik
The first report that came out, the one which I got a front page byline, said the
brothers died after eating nasi lemak. Chemistry Department tests later confirmed the brothers had died from a pesticide which was mixed in with their iced coffee. Their mother insists that her sons would never commit suicide. Who knows what really happened.
The day started off very slow. There was one small assignment in the morning. When I got back to the office, Joe, who was off that Saturday telephoned saying that two boys died of food poisoning in Sik. Muna quickily called Omar to sniff around, since he was closer to Sik than we were.
We didn't have much information about the deaths, so we didn't have anything to tell our bosses anyway. Usually if something big happend in Southern Kedah, including in Sik and Yan, we'd just rely on our stringers.
I briefed my boss on the stories I had: the small assignment I had in the morning AND the two brothers who died story- which mind you, I still hadn't much information regarding it. But I told my bosses anyway.
I don't know if that was the right thing to have done or not. But it did cause a lot of WORK to be done. Within minutes after I put down the phone from briefing boss, he called up again telling me to drop the mediocre morning assignment and concentre on the dead brothers story. My boss told me to go to Sik and get the story.
Sik was two hours away from Alor Star. The day just got more busier.
But I don't know why, I can't forget this story. I guess it's because of the thought of those two boys, who were aged 22 and 21. It's so sad, they were so young and had their whole life ahead of them.
( to be continued )
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