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00:05 So they say, sir, we found two more.
00:09 I was so relieved.
00:11 I was so happy.
00:12 Alhamdulillah, I said.
00:13 Alhamdulillah.
00:14 OK, I'm--
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00:28 On October 9, 2015, two orang asli girls
00:32 were found alive, albeit malnourished and weak
00:35 on the banks of Sungai Perias in Guamusang, Kelantan,
00:38 after being lost in the jungle for 47 days.
00:42 They were 11-year-old Miksudia Aluj and 10-year-old Noring
00:46 Yacob.
00:47 Recalling the miraculous discovery that morning,
00:50 the then Guamusang District Police Chief, Saiful Bahri
00:53 Abdullah, who was in charge of this missing children's case,
00:57 said he had an intuition that there
00:59 would be a positive lead on the particular day.
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01:37 On August 23, 2015, Miksudia, Noring,
02:01 and five other orang asli children
02:03 went missing after they left their school hostel
02:05 in Postohoi.
02:07 The country was shocked by the news of the disappearance
02:10 of these seven children.
02:12 Authorities launched a massive search and rescue operation,
02:15 but there was still no trace of them.
02:18 On the day that we found the two survivors with one dead body--
02:22 three, actually-- in the morning,
02:25 I told-- after the briefing, I insisted
02:29 that the river must not be left out.
02:33 River is a compulsory search area.
02:40 Although we have done that many times,
02:42 but river must be covered, regardless how many times
02:48 we have done that.
02:49 The remaining five children died from the ordeal.
02:52 They are Noring's younger brother, Haikal, Ika Ayal,
02:56 Juvena David, Linda Rosli, and Sasa Sobri.
03:00 Saiful Bahrain recalled that his team
03:02 was under tremendous pressure to look for the survivors.
03:06 There were also allegations that they
03:08 lacked the expertise in carrying out the operation.
03:11 My instruction-- the moment I received the report
03:15 on that midnight, so there's a report,
03:17 the seven orang asli children missing.
03:21 The first thing I told the OCS, Office of Intelligence Station,
03:25 tomorrow morning, first thing tomorrow morning,
03:27 before dawn break, send one team to the post hoi,
03:30 get more info.
03:31 We will send support from there on.
03:34 I simply don't understand sort of allegation.
03:39 What have we done?
03:40 I mean, have we done anything wrong?
03:44 All the while, waiting for assistance from out of Gomu Sang
03:47 arrive, we acted on our own first.
03:49 We acted first, all the best we could.
03:52 I even gave more men to concentrate on Toho itself.
03:56 Every day, we go up and down, up and down through the river.
04:00 Not perturbed by the criticisms, Saiful Bahrain
04:02 said his team's only concern at the time
04:05 was to find the missing children.
04:08 They think this is just an ordinary search and rescue
04:11 operation.
04:13 You have to be there.
04:14 You have to be involved.
04:16 Then you know.
04:17 That was our primary objective.
04:20 Might find them by hook or by crook.
04:23 That's why we stayed there until we found them.
04:28 So what I'm trying to say here is we were very open.
04:32 For a start, look at our base, what
04:37 do you call that, tactical base.
04:41 It's a two canopy without walls.
04:44 Anyone can come in and ask us any question.
04:47 So we were very open.
04:49 There's no delay in us at all.
04:51 Not from our side.
04:54 There was a barrier between we and the family members.
04:58 Because one thing about the culture and the language,
05:02 although they speak Bahasa Malaysia,
05:06 in between there's a gap.
05:08 So much so that we had to go to a third party.
05:12 Also giving the support was United Sikhs Malaysia,
05:15 which provided provisions and also moral support
05:18 to the families of the missing children.
05:20 After we got the news, we got a phone call from Dandy.
05:26 And then we immediately made an arrangement.
05:30 The late Rishiwan Singh Randhawa,
05:31 he was the vice president of United Sikhs at that time.
05:35 And Rishiwan called me immediately
05:38 and we arranged logistic transport.
05:43 Going in there, full truck of groceries.
05:46 And at that period of time, we did not know that the situation
05:51 was that critical that it will take 40 plus days for the rescue.
05:55 So that is where United Sikhs took a decision
05:59 that for the entire mission, United Sikhs will provide
06:02 the food support for the entire rescue mission.
06:09 For United Sikhs Malaysia,
06:11 this was one of their toughest cases they had help with.
06:14 I would say that this is one of the most heartbreaking cases
06:20 that United Sikhs has went through.
06:24 Despite of all of our cases, our flood missions and etc.
06:28 So this case, losing several children at one time
06:33 is the most heartbreaking moment of our rescue experience.
06:41 Today, after eight years, I really hope and I pray
06:46 that the parents have actually moved on.
06:50 As much as possible, we did provide moral support to them.
06:54 And yes, even for us, it was very challenging.
06:59 For Saiful Bahari, this case will always remain close to his heart.
07:03 This is one thing that I will never forget in my life.
07:08 This experience will carry me probably until the end of my life.
07:13 And it will never be erased from my mind.
07:17 Forever, it will not be erased.
07:20 It has been so many years.
07:23 Even if I were to meet the two girls, I don't think I can recognize her.
07:27 The six grieving families had filed negligence suits
07:30 against the government in 2018.
07:34 On July 23, 2023, a RM1.41 million settlement was agreed upon
07:40 between the government representatives and the family's lawyers
07:43 outside of court just before the scheduled trial.
07:47 We feel relieved and grateful that this case went well
07:55 and got justice for the parents of the victims
08:01 whose children were lost in the flood.
08:03 The parents have a strong sense of responsibility
08:10 and they are still aware of the tragedy.
08:15 But in terms of their livelihood, they are still working.
08:20 They are still working in the fields and taking care of their family.
08:24 Norin Yaakob and Miksudia Aluj are now 18 and 19 respectively.
08:29 Norin is married and has recently given birth to a baby boy.
08:33 Eight years on, they still have flashbacks of their ordeal in the jungle
08:38 as the tragedy has left an indelible mark in their lives.
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