The son of a policeman on duty at the Bukit Kepong Police Station, Muar told the Sessions Court in Butterworth today that he was angry and sad over a ceramah (political talk) given by PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu on the Bukit Kepong communist insurgency incident, on Aug 21, 2011.

Nazir Yussoff, 57, the son of Sergeant Yusoff Rono, felt it was an insult to policemen when Mohamad, also known as Mat Sabu, slandered them over communist terrorists attack on the Bukit Kepong Police Station on Feb 23, 1950.

“I felt sad when my father was accused of being a terrorist. My father’s struggle and that of the policemen involved were to defend Bukit Kepong. Due to their deeds, we are enjoying peace and prosperity until today. They (Mat Sabu and his cohorts) seem not appreciative and thankful at what we are enjoying now.

“Many policemen died defending Bukit Kepong. I am sure there will be a second war if my father heard Mohd Sabu’s ceramah,” he said before judge Meor Sulaiman Ahmad Tarmizi.

He said this when answering to a question by deputy public prosecutor Razali Che Ani in the trial of a case over the Bukit Kepong communist issue.

Mat Sabu, 59, is charged with slandering the policemen and their families who defended themselves against the Communist terrorist attack on the Bukit Kepong Police Station, in Muar, Johor, on Feb 23, 1950 by making accusations which could tarnish their good names.

He is alleged to have made the allegations in his ceramah at PAS’ Padang Menora PAS Tarbiah Centre’s Al Fahmi Islamic Kindergarten Nursery in Tasek Gelugor on Aug 21, 2011.

The accused also faces an alternative charge of defaming three policemen, namely, Marine Constable Abu Bakar Daud, Constable Jaafar Hassan and Yusoff Rono and their families, at the same time, date and place.

Mat Sabu was charged under Section 500 of the Penal Code which provides a two-year jail or fine or both, if found guilty.

Earlier, excerpts of the news report on Mat Sabu’s ceramah, which was aired by TV3 's Bulletin Utama on Aug 28, 2011, were shown during the trial.

Nazir said he found out about the ceramah via Bulletin Utama and lodged a police report on Sept 5, 2011.

When asked by Mat Sabu’s counsel Mohamed Hania Maidin on the delay in lodging the report, Nazir said: “I spent a lot of time thinking wondering why it happened after I saw the news on TV. I only lodged the report when I became dissatisfied after mulling over the ceramah.”

He said his father was shot on the left shoulder and both legs during the attack, but survived. His father died in 2003. Nazir also questioned certain quarters who elevated Mohamad (Ahmad) Indera Mat Indera, who headed the attack against the police station, to a fighter of (Malaysia’s) independence.

The court then allowed an application to move the trial to the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court because the seventh witness, former Pagoh District police chief JJ Raj, 91, is unable to walk much, and fixed Sept 12 for continuation of trial.

- Bernama