True hero: (From left) Jen Muhammad Hafizuddeain pinning the Staf Sjn stripes on Mohd Nor at Wisma Pertahanan in Kuala Lumpur. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: “My only thought was their lives were hanging in the balance.”
That was what went through the mind of army personnel Staf Sjn Mohd Nor Khalid as he recalled the moment he jumped into a lake in Puncak Alam to save four teenagers last Sunday.
“I needed to act fast as the victims had been in the water for almost 45 minutes. It could only get more dangerous for them.
“I volunteered to jump into the lake to save the four boys despite many bystanders advising me against it as it might endanger my own life too.
“But I persevered as their lives were in jeopardy,” he told reporters after the rank awarding ceremony by the Army Chief at Wisma Pertahanan yesterday.
Earlier, Army chief Jen Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan promoted the 40-year-old personnel to Staf Sjn after he became a hero in saving four lives.
In the incident last Sunday, four out of six teenagers on a sampan almost drowned when it toppled over.
Two of them managed to swim to shore while four others held on to the boat before Mohd Nor saved them.
Recalling the situation after swimming for 45m to reach the boys, Mohd Nor said he had to grab the teenagers one by one and get them to the shore after they told him they were scared and did not know how to swim.
“As soon as I tried to swim to the shore with the first boy, he clung to my back. I was relieved that I had the strength to continue.
“I searched for the nearest shore (25m away) to save each boy,” he said.
Mohd Nor, who has served in the army for 20 years and will retire next year, said he is grateful to God for easing his efforts despite fatigue setting in after helping the first two boys.
“I took about 15 minutes to save all of them.
“When I reached the shore with the fourth boy, my daughter who was anxious when I first dived in (the water), exclaimed “papa is safe’,” said the father of four.
Jen Muhammad Hafizuddeain said the promotion is an acknowledgement of the extraordinary bravery of Mohd Nor.
“What he did is a reflection of the spirit of heroism of army personnel in fulfilling the responsibility to save the lives of civilians in an emergency.
“He did so despite the risk to his own life.
“It is true bravery to take such a spontaneous action. He is a shining example to all army personnel and I hope he can be an inspiration to all Malaysians,” he said.
