This led to a number of people jumping on the bandwagon ad making all sorts of claims, from 'cheap publicity' to 'Standard Operating Procedures' for Aid Missions.
My heartfelt condolence goes out to the family of Faizul. And let it be known that he was dedicated to his job in bringing pictures to those who doubt almost everything they see on TV (unless it was a clip from certain internet news portals)
Speaking to some friends who had experienced 'conflict areas or war reporting', it seems there are many who equate it with what they see on TV shows.
There are all kinds of assumptions and statements that seem to paint a picture to those who have never been put in that position. Most just soak it all up.
Catching the prime time news on Awani, there was a clip which featured a journalist from a tabloid which was sent to Iraq back in 2003. Here is a story that was published in the USJ e-community news, which has popped up as widely read pages recently..
from USJ e-community..
Nades later said, "It had been a harrowing day for me at the office, but nothing is more satisfying to note that our boy is still there, making me proud of being a journalist, his colleague, friend and confidante."
Meanwhile, theSun's editor-in-chief Zainon Ahmad said the company has given his newsman the choice of either to remain in Baghdad or return home.
Terence has decided to stay on until he is directed by the authorities to leave.
USJ.com.my thanks theSun for the permission to re-produce Terence's front-paged story today. He had bargained with God to write on:
Bargain with God
Malasie! Sahafi! (Malaysian! Reporter!)
These were probably the two words which saved my life on Saturday when a group of Shi'ite militiamen fired at our convoy.
RTM cameraman Omar Salleh, New Straits Times photo department head Anuar Hashim and I had joined the Mercy Malaysia team which was providing medical service to hospitals in an around Baghdad.
We were travelling in two vans. The first one had Mercy president Dr Datuk Jemilah Mahmud and her team. Dr Baba Dani and Don Chang, Lebanese translator Mohamad Aiman and a driver.
The second one carried Omar, Anuar, Mercy's Dr Tafiq Hidayah and Anita Ahmad, driver Ghofran and I.
We were returning from our second stop at the Al-Assadar Hospital in Tawarah City to our hotel when we turned into Jemilah, a shantytown controlled by the Shi'ite, just 8km from the city centre.
Seated at the rear of the van, I spotted a man carrying an AK47 running ahead trying to pass our vehicle.
I yelled to the Syrian driver to turn back, but he did not understand what I said.
Tafiq, the only person who could communicate with him was perhaps unaware of the situation until it was too late.
Up ahead, we saw about 100 gun-toting men, some as young as 14.
Then, the shooting started.
<---
Terence trying on his bullet=proof vest before the Joint Media Team Malaysia left for Amman enroute to Baghdad.As I had the whole rear seat to myself, I crouched down and turned to my side, properly lodged between the rear and middle seats.
Before I went down, I caught a glimpse of our driver slumped in his seat.
Shot in the chest, Ghofran died on the spot.
The hail of bullets seemed never ending. There were probably scores of shots being fired at us.
One bullet had embedded in the back seat. If it had gone through, it would have probably hit me.
Holding my rosary, I bargained with God. "Please don't let me die today and I will do anything!"
In front of me, Anuar was screaming "Allahu Akbar!", while Omar was shielding Anita.
Tafiq, who was seated next to the driver, was holding the lifeless body and screaming "Tabib! Tabib!" (Doctor! Doctor!)
Then the shooting stopped. Someone broke the back windscreen.
There was a packet of cigarettes, which the attacker, probably not more than 17, helped himself to.
The terror of the whole incident came to a boil for me, when the sliding door opened and someone pulled Anita out.
Omar, who was recording the incident was also dragged out. Someone grabbed his camera but when he resisted, one of them pointed a gun to his head.
Then the smell of petrol permeated the air and I saw the fuel dripping down from the roof of the van. "Sahafi! Malasie!" I pleaded with my hands together.
Somehow they were not convinced and started shouting at me in Arabic.
Then out of the crowd, a young man in a red shirt approached the van.
"It's OK, it's OK" he said, his kindly face and soft words put me at ease for a while.
He turned to the others and seemed to be scolding them.
Ali, as I learnt his name later, then reached into the van and kissed me on the cheek.
"It's OK. Come. Come," he said.
I was not all that convinced but I would rather get shot than be burnt alive, so I followed.
A few men crowded around me, assuring me: "It's OK" and led me into a house.
There, I regrouped with the rest of the team, although we had no idea what had happened to the other group.
Tafiq had managed to convinced them of who we are.
As it turn out it was a case of mistaken identity.
The Shi'ites have been fighting Saddam Hussein's Fedayeen militia.
Apparently some Fedayeens had come from Syria to help regain Baghdad. Our vans had Syrian number plates.
"We (are) sorry," said one young man, as he helped me to a glass of water.
I could not hold my glass as my hands were still trembling.
Then, I realised my right eye was stinging. Some of the petroleum had dripped on me.
Immediately, one of them took me to the bathroom and washed my eyes.
I learnt later that they did not intend to set us ablaze, but a barrel of petroleum on the roof of the van had leaked after taking several bullets.
"We Muslims, we brothers," said Anuar.
Realising I was the only non-Muslim there, Anita whispered: "Just be quiet and play along."
Food is scare, but they shared
As it was close to Zohor prayers, then they invited us to pray. I told them that I was too shaken to do so and they allowed me to stay in the kitchen.
One of the women offered some naan bread. "Shukran," (thank you), I said while breaking off a piece. Food was the furthest thing from my mind but I did not want to risk offending anyone.
Soon after, several men in jubah and turbans entered the house. They were religious and community leaders.
They started shouting at some of the young men. One of the youths was slapped.
"Sorry," Imam Ali told me.
While waiting for the others to finish their prayers, an old man was fanning me with a towel.
Then the cameras and bags which were earlier taken from us were returned to us.
After more apologies, they told us that they would send us back to our hotel - but only after we meet somebody.
Huddled in a car, we were taken to a mosque a few blocks away.
There, we were introduced to a Fedayeen they had captured.
They told the man to speak and ordered Omar to record his statement.
He was a Lebanese, who had been paid US$600 (RM2,280) for each Shi'ite he killed.
Then someone brought a knife and it struck us that we were going to witness an execution.
"No!" We protested in unison. When Anuar and Omar put down their cameras, they relented and put the knife away.
But we do not know if they had completed the task later.
Half an hour later, we were whisked back to Al-Assadar, where we met the rest of the team, which had managed to escape.
However, both Jemilah and Baba had been shot in the hip, and Aiman was grazed by a bullet on the cheek.
They were out of danger and are being treated at the Saddam Hospital.
Still too shaken to go back to the hotel, we stayed at the hospital.
The treatment given to us was better than that of a first class hotel.
Every few minutes someone would come into the ward where we were staying to see if we needed anything.
Despite having a little themselves, they feasted us with naan, eggs and dhal and tea.
Yesterday morning, we were taken back to our hotel.
The relief upon seeing our colleagues was indescribable.
They greeted us with hugs and kisses and a roomful of grown men were crying like babies.
"Thanks for scaring the hell out of me, you piece of crap," said Raj Kumar, theSun's photo chief, who would have to bear the burden of breaking the news to my family had anything happened to me.
I have been attacked twice in Iraq (the first by bandits on the way here) and have been luck both times.
I just pray that our luck will not run out as we make the 550km journey back to Amman - hopefully soon - JMTM.
I have certainly no experience in this area, but if my experience in getting an assignment meant that travel was involved, I know some journalist would jump at the opportunity as it will be a task like no other.
More so for an assignment of this nature.
Speaking to an experienced journalist who had also covered the Iraq invasion, and yet another who covered the Bosnian conflict, the one thing that cannot be denied is that these journalists want that 'badge of honour'. It is an assignment that would really mean that one gets recognised, and that the assignment will give that person the acknowledgment amongst their peers.
I may have missed Terence's points about being ill prepared for an assignment like this. But having been there and having been issued a bulletproof vest, wouldn't that meant that he still wasn't well prepared? And if so, why did he then return prematurely despite being told that it was his option to remain or return?
So, if UMNO Youth (by the way Kelab Putera 1Malaysia has no ties with UMNO Youth except that it's chief is a UMNO member)has been accused of getting cheap publicity from the death of Faizul, how would you then describe Terence Fernandez's choice of 'sharing his experience' with the Malay Mail?
The Joint Media Team of Malaysia (JMTM) not only ensured that Malaysians got a true account of the invasion, it also helped in the plight of a nine year old Iraqi girl who lost both her legs. All that despite betting brickbats after the shooting incident, yet they came back with their heads held high.
In today's piece carried in the Malay Mail (Terence Fernandez was with the Sun newspaper, and has since joined the Malay Mail) , the Editor had opted to engage Counter Terrorist expert and the Southeast Asia Regional director for the International Association for Counter-terrorism and Security Professionals, Andrin Raj who said in war zones areas like Somalia, rebel groups assume anyone seen with the government or its army are their allies.
Andrin also suggested that Malaysian Media personnel must refrain from using the Malaysia Flag as it can be mistaken for the US Flag. Nice.
I wonder if so, has there ever been cases of US Flags being mistaken for Malaysian flags then?
Which brings me back to my choice of title for today's post.
Raising Another Idiotic Statement seems to be the next best thing these days, with twitter and blogs.
So for all those bent on riding the wave, forget about it. And to those journalist who think that life at home is more important then the job you have been selected for, please decline the assignment as there are others who want that assignment too. Stay home with your newly wed.
Politicians who want in, think again. Don't think that you actually know everything that is going on, best yet, don't assume you know.
As for Faizul's two young children, be brave, as your dad died doing what he did best. He made our country proud. He made us all proud.
Ohh....as for Terence. Aji Saregar nearly died, yes and Faizul died, yes.
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