KUALA LUMPUR: A special committee has been set up to study and review the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for soldiers on duty at the country borders following an incident where a soldier was shot while on patrol duty at Bukit Kayu Hitam three days ago.
Army chief General Datuk Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor said the committee would study, among others, a proposal for the soldiers to wear bullet-proof vests.
The committee would carry out a thorough investigation into the incident at Bukit Kayu Hitam, which nearly killed Lance Corporal Mohd Azamrudin Azizan, to find weaknesses and flaws to be improved and rectified to prevent a similar incident in future, he told a media conference at the Defence Ministry here yesterday.
In the incident on Saturday, Mohd Azamrudin was shot, believed by smugglers, while on patrol duty with a colleague, Lance Corporal Anuar Doni, at the Malaysia-Thai border in Bukit Kayu Hitam.
Mohd Azamrudin was shot on the thigh, elbow, shoulder and knee, while his colleague escaped unharmed.
Mohd Azamrudin is reported to be in stable condition at the Kangar Hospital in Perlis, following a surgery to remove the bullets.
Raja Mohamed Affandi said the Malaysian army was now working with the Thai Armed Forces to obtain the latest report on the incident.
He denied that the incident was linked to the militant group from Southern Thailand, but did not rule out the possibility of it being master-minded by smugglers.
“Statements have been recorded from the soldiers involved in the incident. We leave the matter to the Thai authorities and the Royal Malaysia Police to investigate,” he added. — Bernama