Sarbaini's body was taken to the KL Customs Complex mosque for final prayer. P
Sarbaini's father, Mohamed Hitam Taib, who is in his 80s. Pix by Hariz Moh
Sarbaini's body arrived at Kota Damansara Section 9 cemetery at
The Customs Department was in shock with the sudden death of their colleague Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed, with some of them even crying foul play.
No way he committed suicide," said a young officer when met outside the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC) mortuary yesterday.
"We played tennis together last night. If he was suicidal, he would not have played tennis with us the night before."
Another officer claimed Ahmad Sarbaini was a pious man who was also the imam at the Customs quarters in Kelana Jaya.
"Do you think someone like him would take his own life?" the colleague asked.
Customs director-general Datuk Seri Mohamed Khalid Yusuf said the entire department was shocked over the news.
"We will help his family," Khalid said, adding that he would not comment further as "we have to respect the dead".
Another colleague, who declined to be named, described Ahmad Sarbaini as a hardworking and honest officer.
Earlier yesterday, some 20 Customs officers turned up at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission office in Jalan Cochrane here and were infuriated when they saw their colleague's body being taken away by police.
The officers turned up in five official cars, with sirens blaring.
They had just gotten out of the cars when they saw a police Land Rover driving away with the body.
Several of them started hurling abuses at MACC officers and claimed they were not informed of their colleague's death.
Later, at the hospital's mortuary, another group of Customs officers claimed that MACC's statement over the incident was a "cover-up".
"Now they are implying he committed suicide.
"I definitely do not believe that Ahmad Sarbaini would do something like that.
"Surely something must have happened," said an officer.
Ahmad Sarbaini, who was from Lambor Kiri in Parit, Perak, had just been promoted to the post of Selangor assistant director.
He is survived by his wife, identified only as Maziah, and five children.
Maziah was at the mortuary with other family members but they did not want to speak to the media.
Selangor Customs Department director Datuk Azis Yacob paid his last respects to Ahmad Sarbaini at UKMMC Centre last night and said the family would be able to claim the body today before noon.
Ahmad Sarbaini's body will be buried at the Kota Damansara Muslim cemetery.
The autopsy was carried out last night.
