Sg Tiram villagers: Cop killer and family reclusive, lived like hermits

The man who stormed into the Ulu Tiram police station, killing two police officers and injuring another before being shot dead, is said to be reclusive like his family who lived in isolation from the other residents.

A Bernama check of the family’s house in Jalan Rabani in Kampung Sungai Tiram, which is located about seven kilometres from the police station, found that the house of the assailant who was believed to be a member of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist group, was in a fenced-off private area.

It is estimated that there are about 10 other houses in the settlement that also display no-entry signs, besides being located not far from Madrasah Luqmanul Hakim which was a haunt for the leaders of the JI extremist group “once upon a time”.

One of the residents interviewed, Fauzi Faizal, 39, said the suspect, who is understood to have four siblings, did not go to school and was educated by his father who is also a member of Jemaah Islamiyah, as revealed by the Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain at his press conference yesterday.

“It is believed that the siblings (of the suspect) also did not receive formal education and are schooled by their father, possibly (indoctrinated) with extremist teachings,” said Fauzi, who is a native of the village.

Fauzi, who is also a member of the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) Tiram Zone, said the settlement where the suspect’s residence is located is believed to have existed for more than 20 years and was inhabited by several other families who also lived in seclusion.

This reclusive segment of people in the settlement also did not mingle with other villagers, he said.

“Residents are indeed worried, shocked as the ‘killer’ resided here in our midst, but we are confident in the police to maintain order and ensure that the incident (attack) was the last of it,” he said.

Residents worried

Ulu Tiram village chief Shazrul Idham Abd Aziz, 41, also kept faith with the force.

“This harrowing incident worries the residents, but I am confident police will take action and investigate to maintain peace and harmony in the village,” he said.

Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain

In the 2.45am ambush on the police station yesterday, three people were confirmed dead, two constables aged 22 and the 21-year-old attacker who was gunned down, while another police officer was injured.

A raid was carried out on the assailant’s home in Ulu Tiram which led to the arrest of five members of his family, aged between 19 to 62 while two students from higher learning institutions were also detained.

- Bernama