The Malaysian Insider

Malaysia

Exploding firecrackers, sirens then a crash

UPDATED @ 07:56:53 15-10-2010
By Debra Chong
Oct 14, 2010

Lance-corporal Shamsul said he didn</p> <p><img height=

SHAH ALAM, Oct 14 — Zafrullah Ahmad Zainal Abidin who lives about 30 metres away from Aminulrasyid Amzah recounted the sounds of exploding firecrackers and police sirens splitting the early morning silence last April 26 moments before the 14-year-old crashed and died.

 The 28-year-old resident of Section 11 here testified this afternoon at the Shah Alam Sessions Court. He is the first person from the public to give an eyewitness account of the events leading to Aminulrasyid’s death.

“I heard sounds like firecrackers exploding and the police siren heading in my direction,” the youth said on Day 3 of the Aminulrasyid shooting trial.

“It sounded like tat, tat-tat-tat-tat, tat,” the neighbour said in an attempt to mimic the exploding sounds.

There were more than ten such bursts at one- to two-second intervals, he related. They went on for about 20 to 30 seconds.

“It sounded like it was coming from behind me,” said Zafrullah, who was doing some work on his computer on the upper level of his double-storey bungalow in Jalan Silat Gayong 11/3A at about 1.30am April 26.

The firecracker-like sounds were interspersed with the wail of police sirens, he noted.

“It got louder as it got closer,” he added.

The accused, Corporal Jenain Subi (left) walks past AminulrasyidTwenty seconds later, he heard a loud crash.</p> <p>“Like some object had hit a wall,” Zafrullah said.</p> <p>“After the crash, there was only the sirens,” he said.</p> <p>Police patrolman, Corporal Jenain Subi, 48, is charged with killing the teen after a high-speed chase.</p> <p>The offence does not amount to murder, but Jenain can be jailed up to 30 years and fined if found guilty.</p> <p>Zafrullah said he only realised the firecracker-like sounds he heard earlier were gunfire after seeing the crashed car peppered with bullet marks. The rear windscreen was smashed in, he added.</p> <p>The crashed car, a white Proton Iswara Aeroback, was surrounded by two police patrol cars.</p> <p>Zafrullah, who turned up in the chilly court dressed warmly in a dark blue jacket, said he hurried to the second-storey window to check out the commotion but couldn’t make it out, so he went outside to the edge of the compound.</p> <p>His bungalow home sits atop a hill that slopes gently down to the main road, he said.</p> <p>“I saw a man running to the opposite side, towards Jalan Tarian 11/2,” he said.</p> <p>“A few policemen chased after him and shouted ‘Jangan lari (Don’t run)!” he added.</p> <p>He didn’t know what happened after that and decided to check out the car crash instead.</p> <p>Zafrullah said it took him about three to four minutes to walk to the crash site, about 10 metres away from his gate.</p> <p>Other members of the public had also surrounded the car by then, peering in but not touching the car.</p> <p>The police blocked off the area with yellow tape half an hour later, Aminulrasyid's neighbour said. He added he stayed on till 3.30am.</p> <p>Zafrullah recalled seeing a dead body in the car; but at that time was unaware the victim was Aminulrasyid.</p> <p><img alt=

The victim appeared to have been flung half out of the car face-down, he said.

The upper half of the body was inside while the lower half was hanging out of the open door on the driver’s side, Fazrullah said and clambered out of the witness stand to demonstrate the pose.

He buried his face into a cushioned seat, adopting a stance first shown by Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah paramedic, Muhamad Sahid Abdul Karim, the first emergency aid worker at the scene.

The Sessions Court here will be visiting the housing area where teenager Aminulrasyid Amzah crashed his car and died next Tuesday morning.

Judge Latifah Mohd Tahar directed deputy public prosecutor Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar to arrange the logistics for the court visit.

“We will meet in court at 9am and then convoy there,” Dusuki told reporters after the trial was adjourned for the day.

“The crime scene visit is to provide more details as described by Zafrullah,” the government lawyer added referring to the prosecution’s 15th witness.

Jenain’s defence lawyer, M.M. Athimulan had disputed parts of Zafrullah’s description on the location and distance of the latter’s home from the crime scene.

The trial’s 14th witness and a member of the police patrol unit, Lance-corporal Shamsul Kamar Ismail who testified in the morning said he did not hear any gunfire because the "sirens were too loud" to the point he could not discern those emitted from his car from those coming from the other two patrol cars.