GOF personnel Lance Corporal Muhammad Amirul Amir showing his injury from a ball bearing ammunition in Bukit Kayu Hitam, November 26, 2020. — Bernama pic

BUKIT KAYU HITAM, Nov 26 — "I am not disappointed at all (at getting shot), but feel very frustrated!” said Lance Corporal Muhammad Amirul Amir, the General Operations Force (GOF) personnel who was injured after being shot while on patrol at the Malaysia-Thailand border yesterday evening.

The 26-year-old Muhammad Amirul, who hails from Kota Tinggi, Johor, suffered light injuries to his abdomen after being hit by a ball bearing ammunition. He said he did not panic after being shot and returned immediately to the nearest command post to seek help.

"Before the incident, I was patrolling on a motorcycle, and suddenly I felt a pain in the stomach, and I thought I had been bitten by a venomous insect.

"But when I checked my bulletproof vest, I found a ball bearing lodged and spontaneously I turned towards the border and saw a shadowy figure in dark clothes,” he said when met at the M16 command post today.

He said the individual had disappeared when he returned to the scene of the incident, which was around a kilometre away from the command post.

"At that time I felt so frustrated because he did that in his own country, if he had entered into our country, then action could be taken,” Muhammad Amirul, who has served with the GOF for eight years, said.

The incident, however, would not deter him from his duty of securing the country’s borders and he continued with his duties at the post as usual.

"I’m even more charged now and my friends are very supportive and advised me to be more careful and not to ever let my guard down during patrols,” he said.

In the 6.15pm incident yesterday, Muhammad Amirul suffered light injuries to his abdomen after being shot by an air rifle from across the border of a neighbouring country.

Kedah Police Chief Datuk Hasanuddin Hassan was reported to have said that the police did not deny the possibility that the suspect who fired at Muhammad Amirul was a smuggler, as the incident happened at an area known to be used as a smuggling route. — Bernama