INTERVIEW Undeterred by the risk of losing his pension if found guilty by the military court for speaking up on the indelible ink used in the last general election, pilot Major Zaidi Ahmad continues to fight for his right to continue serving the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).

Opening his home in Kepala Batas to the media for the first time on Sunday, Zaidi told Malaysiakini that he wants his superiors to drop the seven charges levelled against him for exposing the failure of the indelible ink during last year's May 5 general election.

He faces charges under Section 50(2) and Section 51 of the Armed Forces Act 1972, of which five counts are for providing statements to the media on the use of the indelible ink and two others for sending SMSes that are deemed "political and inciting".

"Those charges against me are ridiculous. I am just telling the truth. Their action against me is harming the good image of the force," the 46-year-old officer  said when met at his single-storey terrace house.

"Let me retire from service. If you say I tarnished the name of the force, I am willing to leave. There are more important things to focus on in this country, so let's move on," added Zaidi, who hails from Sungai Petani and has been with RMAF for 25 years.

While he hopes that truth and justice will save him from conviction when his case goes to trial next month, Zaidi is falling back on the armed forces motto, saying, "I am prepared for the worst."

Zaidi, who started his service with RMAF in 1989, has been demoted to a desk job. His daily duties involve paperwork, running errands and "doing what the superiors tell me to".

Asked if these might include photocoping documents, Zaidi said "yes, if the job entails such a task".

He is unfazed that he has been "grounded" after being punished for making a police report on April 30 last year against the ineffectiveness of the indelible ink on voters, saying "I don't mind as long as I am getting the same salary".

He added: "I believe everything happens for a cause, a reason. Wherever you end up is God's will, just make the best of it."

He feels greatly disadvantaged by being banned from flying, for he loses  a considerable part of his experience, which included short stints overseas, such as in Bosnia from March to November 1995, as part of a United Nations peacekeeping force.

Zaidi also misses the excitement of "dog fights", where RMAF pilots practise "warring" with one another other in the air to sharpen their flying skills.

Fully aware that he would be in trouble for what he has done, Zaidi applied for early retirement, which he is entitled to do so after 21 years of service. However, his application was rejected as his superiors wanted him charged in the military court.

A dishonourable discharge if found guilty

"If they find me guilty, the punishment is a dishonourable discharge from duty, the loss of my pension and even jail, from one day to two years," he noted.

On whether he has a good change of winning in his trial in the Sungai Besi-based military court, scheduled from April 8 to 10, Zaidi replied, "I don't know, I can't read people's minds."

He proudly shows his flight logbook, showing he has logged 1,974.8 flying hours and would have gained more, if not for his suspension.

"I have no regret over what I have done, for I did the right thing in terms of my religion and my service, which teaches us to have high integrity," he said.

"They didn't say that having high integrity means I have to inform my superiors about personal matters."

Zaidi said he should not have been hauled up for disciplinary action, since he did not expose or compromise on information related to his work or on matters involving national security or defence.

The Armed Forces Act, he pointed out, only imposes restrictions on political party membership, contesting for elections and speaking at ceramah.

In the case of the indelible ink used in GE13, there was no order stating that if one finds it not indelible, he or she has to report to the superior officers, Zaidi explained.

"My superiors were aware that I would be making the report and tried to stop me, but I felt it was not wrong to file a report and so I went ahead with it.

"I also sent SMS messages to ask others do the same. I sent another asking people to pray to God to keep the country safe."

He knew the risks too well, but decided to press on for the sake of the truth, to defend the good name of the service and "to show that there are still people in the military who can speak the truth".

The Armed Forces Act does allows a member of the force to attend political gatherings or talks, as long as he or she wears civilian clothes.

There are also restrictions on speaking to the media, but this applies to official matters, which are "up to interpretation".

Zaidi denied calling for a press conference outside the police station on May 1, where he lodged a report against the indelible ink, together with his wife Shafinah Abdul Hamid and an RMAF technician.

"I didn't call for it. The media came, and I showed them my report, I didn't share my opinion. I believed I was doing the right thing," he said.

His plight has caught the attention of various quarters, including politicians such as PAS leaders Mohamad Sabu and Khalid Samad, and NGOs like Bersih, who have visited him at his home and have launched a solidarity campaign in support of him.

Zaidi’s Facebook page, "Sokong Major Zaidi TUDM", in which he discusses current issues, has garnered some 19,800 "likes".

"But I still do not have enough "likes" as the famous Malay diva Siti Nurhaliza has achieved," he joked.

He admitted though that the support of his peers, and those in the armed forces, were on the decline as days went by because they have been "ticked off and warned" by their superiors for defending Zaidi or commenting on his Facebook.

On his part, he wants to live life the way God wants him to, saying that is the "safest way", even though it may cause him problems, "because what happens in the hereafter is more important ".

‘Tell the truth, even if you made a mistake’

To those who lie, he asked, "How long do you want to do it? If you start with one lie, you need to lie more to cover your lies. So whatever it is, tell the truth, even if you have made a mistake."

A staunch Muslim who sends his children to a private religious school in Kedah, Zaidi said that God and country are important and that includes the election system to elect the country’s leaders.

"How do you want to do this using a system that is full of lies? How do you expect the warriors of the country to be part of the lies?" he asked.

He is not afraid of his superiors because military men like him are supposed to be "the bravest people" in the country.

However, he laments about there being no secrecy in voting in elections while in the military and that the spouses of those in the forces, for which advanced voting is conducted, are forced to vote in the military camps.

"We also have to sign a paper that is later attached to our ballot papers. Even then, there are those who are brave enough to vote differently, so it is not always 100 percent votes for the BN," he said.

Zaidi said military personnel are allowed to take sides with any political party as long as they are not active in politics, become a registered member or hold office in a political party or lobby others in the camp.

This is only the third election Zaidi has voted in, for he had been at training sessions during the other elections and therefore could not vote.

Married 25 years ago, with four children aged between three and 20 years, Zaidi said his family "follows the boss" when asked how are they were coping with his predicament.

On claims he is an opposition supporter, Zaidi said he takes full responsibility for his actions, adding, "I don't blame anybody else, for the final say is mine. I am an adult and cannot be used by anybody."

Asked whether action was initiated against him because he was suspected of being an opposition party member, Zaidi said the charges against him do not say so.

The action against him, he said, was being taken as an example to others not to go against the orders of their superiors.

His charges also include the revealing of his 24-hour transfer order to Kuala Lumpur, from May 3 last year, after lodging his police report two days earlier.

He managed to postpone the transfer to May 6 and worked at the Ministry of Defence for only one month.

The inquiry board on the charges against him sat on May 3 and it decided that he should appear before a court martial of six military judges.

No bitterness for his superiors

Zaidi shows no trace of bitterness or anger towards his superiors.

"They are merely doing their job. They are part of the system and they follow the system. Unlike me, I question. So if somebody up there tells them to ‘charge this guy’, they just follow orders.

"They want to be safe in their jobs. I don't have any bad feelings towards them," Zaidi said.

Asked if ignoring the orders of his superiors amounted to insubordination, Zaidi said, "It depends. One can say no if the orders are unlawful, for example, if your boss asks you to shoot civilians."

There is always a sliver lining in every cloud, for his suspension from duty gave him more time to be with his family and allowed him to write a book, ‘Important Reminders for those Performing the Haj’.

This book provides snippets of his experiences and lessons learnt in the Holy Land of Mecca, which Zaidi is selling at RM15 a copy to raise funds for his legal fees.

"Or else I might just join the save and rescue team for the MH370, which went missing with 239 passengers and crew last Saturday," he said.

When all this is over, he might just go into politics, he said, but declined to reveal the party he would join to further his political struggle.

"Let's see what happens in the future," said a hopeful Zaidi.