The death of Noramfaizul Mohd Nor is about the first journalist from Malaysia to be fatally injured while on a dangerous assignment abroad.
[1] The attack occurred on 2 September 2011 in
Mogadishu,
Somalia, while Noramfaizul was reporting for
Bernama TV on a humanitarian mission organized by the Islamic charity
Kelab Putera 1Malaysia.
[2] He was killed by a high-caliber bullet fired by a sniper, while traveling in convoy back to its base at the airport.
Following the
2011 East Africa drought, various humanitarian organizations were mobilized and efforts were made in response to the famine in the
Horn of Africa region. With an estimated population of 9.3 million people,
[6] the
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that four million Somalis would require some type of humanitarian assistance.
[7] The relief efforts were complicated by a civil war in Somalia. The African Union created the
African Union Mission in Somalia
peacekeeping force to separate the transitional government forces of
Somalia from the al-Shabaab insurgents. The mission became embroiled in
the
Somali Civil War and the
Battle of Mogadishu, which had begun in August 2010.
In September 2011, Islamic charity Kelab Putera 1Malaysia, also known
as Putera 1Malaysia Club, mobilized humanitarian efforts to support the
people located in the coastal
Benadir region. A refugee crisis occurred as Somalis fled seeking relief. Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, journalist and camera operator with
Bernama, Malaysia's national news agency was assigned to report on these efforts and ensuing mêlée.
Noramfaizul Mohd Nor
Prior to joining Bernama TV, he worked for the
National Film of Malaysia, and later
Metrovision
as a camera operator. While at National Film, he was assigned an aerial
photography task and declined to do the job when other camera operators
volunteered. The plane ended up crashing and killed the pilot and two
cameramen. He then left Filem Negara for Metrovision.
[8]
Noramfaizul worked for Bernama as a camera operator since 2002.
[1] Bernama is the Malaysia's national news agency and is headquartered in
Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. He worked for Bernama TV when it began as a separate service
in 2008. Following his death, Noramfaizul is survived by his wife and
two sons.
[9]
Incident
Location of attack in K-4 intersection
At the time of the incident, Noramfaizul was traveling with other
journalists, back to their base at the airport. While stopped at the
busy Kilometer Four intersection in the capital city of Mogadishu,
Noramfaizul was fatally injured when he was shot by a high-caliber
bullet, fired by an unknown sniper.
[10] Aji Saregar Mazlan, a camera operator for
TV3 (Malaysia), was sitting to the left of Noramfaizul in the vehicle and was injured in the same incident.
[11] The team had been scheduled to travel home on the following weekend.
[10] It was initially reported, though unproven, that African Union troops were involved.
[10]
The
Associated Press reported that the
African Union Mission in Somalia
was investigating whether its peacekeeping forces had shot at the
vehicle that carried the two Malaysian television journalists.
[12]
An eyewitness in the same vehicle with Noramfaizul and Aji wrote an
article for Bernama that said he saw AMISOM vehicles pass them after
hearing shots.
[13]
The Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said the shot
originated from neither the transitional government forces nor the
Al-Shabaab insurgents.
[14] As a result, the
Committee to Protect Journalists called on the African Union to investigate and to protect humanitarian missions.
[15]
Impact
Noramfaizul was the first Malaysian journalist to die in a conflict zone.
[1]
As a result, he received a hero's burial in Malaysia. According to his
colleague Khairulanuar Yahaya, Noramfaizul had covered three other
humanitarian missions to Gaza, Pakistan and New Zealand for Bernama.
[16]
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) lists Noramfaizul as the
35th journalist confirmed killed while reporting in Somalia since 1992,
while it notes that two reporters during that period are still
unconfirmed. According to the same source, the deadliest year in Somalia
during that period was 2009 when nine journalists were killed.
[17]
Reporters Without Borders
(RSF) released this statement about Noramfaizul's death: “He joins the
long list of journalists killed in the course of their work in Somalia,
Africa’s deadliest country for media personnel with 23 killed since
2007.”
By RSF’s count, it includes the two journalists unconfirmed by CPJ.
[18]
In response to controversy in Malaysia over Noramfaizul’s death in a
dangerous country, the Human Resources Ministry of Malaysia announced it
would work with media to develop guidelines for media personnel who
work in high risk areas. Noramfaizul's death was cause for controversy
in Malaysia because people questioned whether the Putera 1Malaysia Club
had adequately warned the 55 people in the mission, which included
volunteers, doctors, air force personnel and media workers, about the
dangers and whether journalists were being adequately protected while
reporting in dangerous situations.
[19]
A spokesperson for the
International Federation of Journalists
said, "It is simply unacceptable for an employer to send a media worker
to Somalia, which is known as one of the most dangerous countries in
the world for journalists, without proper training and equipment."
[20]
Reactions
Press response
UNESCO, which frequently comments on the dangers facing journalists
worldwide, has not issued a public statement about the killing of
Noramfaizul in Somalia.
Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, president of the Putera 1Malaysia
Club, said, "His death will be recorded in the Bernama’s annals as a
selfless and heroic sacrifice of a true professional not only in the
course of his duty but also in the genuine pursuit of humanitarian
value."
[21]
Datuk Yong Soo Heong, editor-in-chief at Bernama, said, "This is a
huge loss for Bernama because he was a committed person and never
neglected his duty. He had always shown a high level of professionalism
in his work."
[22][Full citation needed]
Passengers
Tan Su Lin, a journalist for
Astro Awani was sitting in front
of Noramfaizul on the front, right-hand corner of the four-wheel-drive
vehicle. She remembered this about her colleague, "I
always (emphasis from original) teased him and called him
ketua darjah (class monitor) as he had a way of keeping everyone in line. I didn't expect it to end this way."
[23]
Also sitting in the front seat in the middle between the driver
(left) and Tan (right) was TV journalist Khairulanuar Yahaya. He has so
far said that he cannot believe his fellow worker at Bernama TV was
killed.
Melissa Ong, TV journalist from NTV7, sat in the same vehicle with
Noramfaizul when he was shot. She was positioned in the back seat to the
left of Aji (middle) and Noramfaizul (far right). Ong shared this about
Noramfaizul, "Our last memory of him was the laughter we shared in the
car before the short journey back to our hostel. I will always treasure
that. I believe Abang Faizul would want us to continue our good work in
Somalia and I would like to return to set up an IDP camp in his honour."
[24] "Abang" is a respectful, affectionate term, which means "older brother."
Public
Noramfaizul was given a hero's burial at
Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Muslim cemetery in
Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia, which is outside of Kuala Lumpur.
[25]
In Malaysia, a t-shirt was made as a memorial keepsake that read,
"Noramfaizul anda wira kami," which is translated, "Noramfaizul, you are
our hero" with "Bernama TV" above the pocket area of the shirt.
After incident
Malacca Governor, Mohd. Khalil Yaakob, during 73rd birthday
investiture ceremony, conferred him the posthumous Gallantry Star of
Malacca (BGP). His spouse, Norazrina Jaafar, received the posthumous
award on behalf of her late husband.
[26]
She thank the Government of Malacca, Malaysia, for recognising him as
a hero of Malacca. Her late husband is the first recipient of the BGP
award since it was created in 1978.
To see more of who died in 2011
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