PETALING JAYA: To many, snakes were creatures to be feared, but for Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) sergeant Muhamad Muazam Shah Kamardin, they were his lifelong passion.
Sadly, his passion ended in tragedy after the 33-year-old was bitten by a king cobra during a reptile-handling demonstration at Dewan Taman Temerloh Jaya on Saturday (Aug 22).
Despite being rushed to Hospital Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, Sgt Muazam, who had previously survived similar deadly snake bites, died at 1.50am on Sunday (Aug 23).
His sister, Siti Aisyah Kamardin, 43, said this was the third time her brother had been bitten by snakes, with the previous two involving different reptiles.
"The last time he was bitten was about three years ago, which caused him to fall into a coma before suffering a heart attack.
"Fortunately, he survived then, but after that he could not do heavy work and performed tasks slower than usual," she told Sinar Harian.
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Siti Aisyah said her brother had a lifelong fascination with snakes and kept several at home, including cobras, pythons and boas.
She said the reptiles were often brought along for demonstrations with APM, though she noted that she did not know exactly how her brother obtained them.
"In the week before this incident, my brother spent some time handling snakes at home, including bathing and playing with them.
"He seemed normal, so I never thought such an incident would happen," she said, adding that she last met her brother about three weeks ago.
She said she received a call from Sgt Muazam's foster sibling around midnight and rushed to the hospital.
Sgt Muazam had reportedly told his team that he had been bitten before calmly placing the cobra back in its box and washing his hands before collapsing moments later.
He was laid to rest at Kampung Bukit Kelulut Cemetery after prayers at the village mosque on Sunday.
His family will remember him not only as a dedicated APM officer but also as a man who lived and ultimately died with the creatures he loved most.
