JOHOR BARU: The man who stormed into the Ulu Tiram police station, killing two and injuring a third policeman before being shot dead, was said to be reclusive, with his family living away from other residents.
The family house in Jalan Rabani in Kampung Sungai Tiram, 7km from the police station, was fenced off in a private area.
There are about 10 other houses in the settlement that also displayed no-entry signs, located not far from Madrasah Luqmanul Hakim, once known as the haunt of leaders of the Jemaah Islamiah extremist group.
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One resident, Fauzi Faizal, 39, claimed that the assailant had four siblings, did not go to school and was educated by his father who is also a member of Jemaah Islamiah (JI).
Ahmad Azza Fahmi’s sister Norazah Asyaadah crying as she waits with other family members at the hospital. — Bernama
“The whole family did not receive formal education but are schooled by their father, possibly (indoctrinated) with extremist teachings,” said Fauzi.
Fauzi said the settlement had been around for more than 20 years, with all the families there living in seclusion and not mingling with other villagers.
“We are shocked that the killer was in our midst, but we are confident the police can maintain order and ensure that this incident was the last,” he said.
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Ulu Tiram village chief Shazrul Idham Abd Aziz, 41, said the incident had the residents worried, but he was confident peace would be maintained in the village.
The father of slain policeman Konst Muhamad Syafiq Ahmad Said, Ahmad Said Md Piah was also shocked.
He said he had first thought the news was just a story people had made up.
It was only after he received a call from the police did the 65-year-old realise that his son, the seventh among eight siblings, had died in the attack.
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“It was hard for me to believe it when (the caller) said my son had been shot and killed,” he said yesterday, adding that he was at his farm when he received the news.
The army pensioner, who was in tears when met by Bernama, said Muhamad Syafiq had always wanted to be a policeman and was passionate about his career.
“He actually quit his studies in forensics at a college just to join the police force and serve the country,” he said.
Teacher Azhar Khaiden, 54, the father of Konst Ahmad Azza Fahmi Azhar, said he would not stop his other children from joining the force.
“It was his dream to be a policeman. His elder brother is also a policeman serving in Sabah. His younger sister will also be attending an interview next week to join the force.
“Hopefully, she can one day replace her brother,” he said when met in front of Hospital Sultan Ismail in Johor Baru.
Azhar said his son, who was the fourth of eight siblings, had been in the police force for two years.
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Ahmad Azza Fahmi’s eldest sister, Nur Azza Assyaqiren Azhar, 29, said her brother was behaving strangely and spoke a lot about death on WhatsApp before his passing.
“He posted about death every day for the last two weeks.
“I felt that it was strange, but I didn’t think he would leave us.
“When I found out about the incident, I couldn’t imagine how he was at the time,” she said tearfully when met at her residence in Kampung Poh Tambahan in Bidor, Perak.
