Father recounts son's final call before police chopper crash
Baharom is the father of Superintendent Ahmad Bustamin Baharom, 46, who was involved in a helicopter crash along with four other crew members aboard an AS355N helicopter that went down near Sungai Pulai, Gelang Patah yesterday.
Baharom said that shortly after the call, he received a phone call from the authorities informing him that his son had been involved in the crash.
"My son called to let me know he was about to board a helicopter and asked me to pray for his safety before take-off.
"Not long after, I received another call saying the helicopter he was in had crashed. I was shocked, but thank God, he survived and is now being treated in a general ward.
"He suffered fractured bones, including his ribs, swelling to his face, and numbness in his legs, but he's able to talk and recount what happened," he said when met after visiting his son at the main lobby of Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) today.
Baharom, a retired school principal, said his son was the first to emerge from the wreckage, which had crashed into the water, before being rescued by emergency responders.
He added that his son was wearing a safety helmet at the time of the incident.
"We're truly grateful because Ahmad Bustamin had previously undergone relevant training. During yesterday's incident, he managed to exit the wreckage on his own while still conscious and was rescued.
"My wife, Che Ma Abu Bakar, 75, and I, along with the rest of the family, including Ahmad Bustamin's wife, travelled from Alor Star, Kedah at 10pm last night and arrived at 8am this morning. Ahmad Bustamin has four children aged 16, 13, 12, and 9.
"Coincidentally, his eldest child who attends school in Alor Star happened to be in Johor for a school programme, so they were able to meet," he said.
Yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said that two of the five crew members on board the police AS355N helicopter that crashed near Sungai Pulai, Gelang Patah, were reported to be in critical condition.
Both victims were on respiratory support, while the remaining three were in stable condition.
The AS355 helicopter, owned by the police, was forced to make an emergency landing near the Sungai Pulai jetty in Gelang Patah while participating in the Malaysia-Indonesia-Thailand-Singapore Maritime Operation (MITSATOM) 2025 training exercise.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) confirmed in a statement that the crash involved an AS355N helicopter with the registration number 9M-PHG.
According to CAAM, the helicopter operated by the police departed from the Tanjung Kupang Police Station at 9.51am carrying five occupants, including the pilot.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Police helicopter 9M-PHG played key role in Lahad Datu, major operations before crash
JOHOR BARU: The police AS355N helicopter bearing registration number 9M-PHG, which recently crashed in Gelang Patah, is being remembered for its extensive service in critical and humanitarian missions. Since news of its crash in Sungai Pulai during a nuclear detection training exercise last Thursday, many have recalled their experiences with the aircraft, whether flying in it or witnessing its role in various operations. Police Air Operation Force commander Datuk Noor Sham Md Jani described the 28-year-old aircraft as 'small but mighty', highlighting its key contribution during the 2013 Lahad Datu intrusion by Sulu militants in Kampung Tanduo, Sabah. Noor Sham, who has logged nearly 7,000 flight hours on the AS355N, said he flew 9M-PHG to evacuate injured General Operations Force (GOF) personnel to hospitals in Sandakan and Lahad Datu during the armed standoff. "From day one of the incident, three AS355N helicopters, including 9M-PHG, and their crews were stationed in Lahad Datu for nearly three weeks before the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) aircraft arrived," he told Bernama. The helicopter was involved in an accident at 10.15am on Thursday during the Multilateral Nuclear Security Detection Exercise (MITSATOM) 2025 at the Gelang Patah Maritime Jetty. The exercise involved Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) said the helicopter had departed from the Tanjung Kupang police station at 9.51am with five people on board, including the pilot. Noor Sham said 9M-PHG had just participated in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (Lima '25) and was one of the most frequently deployed aircraft for humanitarian missions, including disaster relief, flood evacuations, as well as traffic and crime surveillance. The aircraft also supported major national operations, such as aerial surveillance during the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in April and during the enforcement of the Covid-19 Movement Control Order (MCO). "Its compact size made it ideal for command-and-control tasks. "We often used it for initial reconnaissance because of its ability to manoeuvre in tight areas, before deploying larger aircraft like the AW139 if needed," he said. In Johor, 9M-PHG was used to airlift three pregnant women, aged 22 to 33, from flood-isolated Orang Asli villages in Kahang, Kluang, to the hospital. Police force currently operates five AS355N helicopters, with two of them in Sabah, one in Sarawak and two in Peninsular Malaysia, including 9M-PHG. – Bernama
The Sun
16 hours ago
- The Sun
PDRM helicopter 9M-PHG's key role in Lahad Datu before crash
JOHOR BAHRU: The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) AS355N helicopter bearing registration number 9M-PHG, which recently crashed in Gelang Patah, is being remembered for its extensive service in critical and humanitarian missions. Since news of its crash in Sungai Pulai during a nuclear detection training exercise last Thursday, many have recalled their experiences with the aircraft, whether flying in it or witnessing its role in various operations. Police Air Operation Force (PGU) commander Datuk Noor Sham Md Jani described the 28-year-old aircraft as 'small but mighty', highlighting its key contribution during the 2013 Lahad Datu intrusion by Sulu militants in Kampung Tanduo, Sabah. Noor Sham, who has logged nearly 7,000 flight hours on the AS355N, said he flew 9M-PHG to evacuate injured General Operations Force (PGA) personnel to hospitals in Sandakan and Lahad Datu during the armed standoff. 'From day one of the incident, three AS355N helicopters, including 9M-PHG, and their crews were stationed in Lahad Datu for nearly three weeks before the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) aircraft arrived,' he told Bernama. The helicopter was involved in an accident at 10.15 am on Thursday during the Multilateral Nuclear Security Detection Exercise (MITSATOM) 2025 at the Gelang Patah Maritime Jetty. The exercise involved Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), the helicopter had departed from the Tanjung Kupang police station at 9.51 am with five people on board, including the pilot. Noor Sham said 9M-PHG had just participated in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2025 (LIMA '25) and was one of the most frequently deployed aircraft for humanitarian missions, including disaster relief, flood evacuations, as well as traffic and crime surveillance. The aircraft also supported major national operations, such as aerial surveillance during the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in April and during the enforcement of the COVID-19 Movement Control Order (MCO). 'Its compact size made it ideal for command-and-control tasks. We often used it for initial reconnaissance because of its ability to manoeuvre in tight areas, before deploying larger aircraft like the AW139 if needed,' he explained. In Johor, 9M-PHG was used to airlift three pregnant women, aged 22 to 33, from flood-isolated Orang Asli villages in Kahang, Kluang, to the hospital.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Family grateful son, colleagues survived police helicopter crash
JOHOR BARU: The family of Supt Ahmad Bustamin Baharom is grateful that he and his colleagues survived the police helicopter crash during a mock nuclear training exercise in Sungai Pulai. His father Baharom Mohammed, 82, and mother Che Ma Abu Bakar, 75, made a 10-hour journey from Alor Setar, Kedah, to Johor, arriving at Hospital Sultanah Aminah here just after dawn yesterday to visit their son. 'Before the training exercise on Thursday, my son called me to say he was about to board the helicopter. We prayed for his safety. 'Not long after, I received shocking news that the helicopter crashed into the sea during the exercise,' Baharom said. Despite the chaos of the crash, Supt Ahmad, 46, managed to escape the submerged aircraft and was the first to be rescued. 'Some victims were unconscious. We were told he was lucky to remain conscious throughout. 'When we saw him at the hospital, he could still speak to us,' said Baharom, adding that doctors assured the family that he is stable and recovering. He said Supt Ahmad sustained several injuries, including on his back, fractured ribs, facial swelling and numbness in his legs. 'His face is still swollen but the helmet he wore likely saved him from worse injuries. We are just grateful he is alive – the rest we leave to God,' said Baharom. He added that Supt Ahmad has four children, aged nine to 16. Earlier, Bukit Aman Air Operations Force Deputy Commander (Operations) Senior Asst Comm Ahmad Lokman Abdul Hadi visited the crash victims, followed by Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm M. Kumarasan. On Thursday, the Eurocopter AS3555 Ecureuil known as 'Squirrel' crashed near the jetty during a mock exercise attended by personnel from Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.
