Food supply found at Bukit Jenalik could have sustained the 29 Al-Ma'unah members who were holed-up there for about three weeks, the High Court hearing the treason trial of the 29 was told today.

Mejar Fadzil Tajuddin testified that there was sufficient food for the group members who had taken-up positions at the base of Bukit Jenalik after allegedly stealing a cache of arms from two army camps in Grik on July 2.

Fadzil had testified last week that he saw some packets of rice and canned food at the group's base camp when he went there after the place had been neutralised.

Defence counsel Zulqarnain Lokman had then asked Fadzil on the size of the rice packets he saw there and if they were sufficient for the group.

Fadzil was not able to describe the size of the packets. The packets of rice were produced in court today and shown to Fadzil.

Fadzil said each packet weighed less than one kilogram and could provide rice for three men.

Zulqarnain then asked Fadzil again if the 14 packets of rice tendered in court as exhibits could sustain 29 men for three weeks. To this, Fadzil replied that he also saw other foodstuff belonging to the group.

"I saw other foodstuff at the group's cooking shed. There were also more than 14 packets of rice," he said. He reiterated this again during his re-examination by senior deputy public prosecutor Abdul Gani Patail later.

Not a picnic spot

Fadzil also said that the enemy (the Al-Ma'unah members) had used the place as a base camp and not as a picnic or camping site.

"There were no signs at the place to indicate they had been having a feast or a picnic," he said.

He said that the 14 packets of rice would be sufficient for 29 men for one week for "survival purposes."

Fadzil was testifying at the trial of the 29 Al-Ma'unah members who are charged under Section 121 of the Penal Code for waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, an offence which carries the sentence of death or life imprisonment or a fine.

They are alleged to have committed the offence between June and July 6 at Pos 2, Km 19, Kuala Rui, Jalanraya Timur-Barat, Grik; Batalion 304, Infantri (AW), Kem Grik, Grik; and at Bukit Jenalik, Sauk, all in Perak. ([#1]Twenty-nine Al-Ma'unah members claim trial[/#], Aug 9).

They are alleged to have stolen a cache of weapons and ammunition from the two military camps by impersonating as army officers in the early hours of July 2.

To a question by defence counsel Zaini Zainal, Fadzil, a commando officer based at the Sungai Udang army camp in Melaka, said the group's base camp was an inappropriate place for camping.

He, however, said he did not know if the place was used by locals for that purpose.

He said that there were some of the members of the armed group who had surrendered to security forces on July 6 and were relieved to be in custody.

"Some were crying and regretting their actions," he added.

To another question, Fadzil said Left Jen Zaini Mohd Said had gone into the armed group's camp together with members of the Combat Rescue Team (CRT). He disagreed that the enemy had already laid down their weapons by then.

Negotiations with enemy

He also said that two of his officers, Captain Raja Ahmad Raja Brima Sulong and ASP Abdul Razak Mohd Yusof, had entered into negotiations with the enemy for their surrender despite his men being instructed not to enter the enemy camp.

"I was not informed of this at that time. I did not know who ordered the two officers to do so but one of them, Raja Ahmad, came out with four enemies who decided to surrender," he said.

Fadzil also said that he was not told of Zaini's entry into the enemy area.

During re-examination, Fadzil said that although his men should obtain authority from him to enter into the enemy camp, they could do so on their own if the situation warranted their involvement and "for the success of the operation."

"In this case, they had to go into the enemy area for negotiations and they were successful in getting the some of the enemy to surrender or be captured," he said.

He said the operation to reclaim all the stolen weapons was a joint effort between the police and the military and was headed by Mejar Jen Khairuddin Mohd Yusof.

The h earing before Justice Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin continues tomorrow.

Previous stories:

Hideout is a strategic 'warfare' base, court told, Nov 9 Ten members surrendered, 17 captured, court told, Nov 8 2,200 soldiers cordon off arms robbers' hideout, Nov 7