Family seeks truth in UiTM cadet death case

The family of UiTM Reserve Officer Training Unit (Rotu) cadet Muhammad Amir Rusyaidi Muhammad Zaidi hopes the probe into his death will dig deep into witnesses' statements over what happened before the victim of alleged abuse collapsed.

“There must be some truth to it (statement), we hope nothing is being concealed,” the family’s lawyer, Nurul Diyana Bashir, said in a press conference at her firm’s office in Kuala Lumpur today.

Nurul pointed out that the witnesses would not have approached the family after the funeral and told the story about what happened right before Amir fainted if nothing had happened.

“We hope the statement provided to the family about what the witnesses claimed - about excessive force used or inappropriate training conducted that day - is thoroughly investigated to determine if it truly happened,” she added.

However, the New Straits Times reported that “some” of the witnesses who were called in for police questioning have refuted that the alleged culprit rode on Amir’s back like a horse.

Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan told the English daily that the victim’s parents made the allegations based on assumption.

His revelation came after the police reportedly questioned nine witnesses yesterday, including the Rotu trainer who allegedly abused the junior cadet. The victim’s father, Muhammad Zaidi Abdul Rahman, was also questioned.

Punished for falling behind

Amir’s mother, Azwati Muhammed Ghalip, insisted that the alleged abuser rode her son’s back for falling behind the other cadets in his cohort, and was made to do push-ups as punishment.

“Then the instructor said, ‘Can you do this or not?’ He asked my son, ‘What are you trying to do? Be a horse? If you want to be a horse... then take me over there, and I’ll ride on your back’,” she said, depicting what the witnesses had told her the night after Amir’s funeral.

Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported that Amir tragically passed away on Nov 13 after allegedly enduring a gruelling training session.

Zaidi claimed in a police report that the cadet had been subjected to physical abuse, including being stepped on the chest, forced to perform horse-like movements with a trainer riding on his back, and ordered to jump like a kangaroo.

These activities on Nov 10 were allegedly captured on video by the trainer.

The 25-year-old cadet collapsed following the training and was in a coma until his death. The police also confirmed that the first-year mechanical engineering major student died of “heatstroke with multiple organ failure”.

Azwati also said that Amir, who had a lifelong passion for the military, joined the school’s cadet corps and even the Civil Defence Force.

She said his enthusiasm for discipline and physical fitness led him to participate in numerous drills and marching competitions.

Continuing his military aspirations, Azwati said that Amir enrolled in the Kesatria programme at university, where he underwent rigorous training under the guidance of a military instructor.

“It’s not like he suddenly joined and suddenly collapsed. This isn’t the first time he’s pushed himself during training before,” she added.

A lovely brother

Recalling moments when Amir was still alive, Azwati said that her son had always been an attentive brother and often cooked for his siblings.

“He was a good cook,” Amir's sister Nur Balqis Izziti Mohamad Zaidi said.

Amir’s mother said the cadet’s social media accounts have been filled with heartfelt eulogies from his friends.

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