What was supposed to be a sombre wait to collect Customs officer Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed’s remains turned heated when mourners discovered his death was being painted as suicide.
The crisp, morning air that surrounded friends and relatives who had gathered early outside the Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM)’s mortuary, where they were waiting to accompany Sarbani’s remains home, did little to cool rising tempers.
“What is this? Who wrote this article? How could you say that he (Sarbani) committed suicide? I will sue you!” came a burst from a middle-aged man when he saw the rapid-fire flashes from the gaggle of press photographers who had gravitated to the scene.
Sarbani’s colleagues and family had earlier been trading news reports of his untimely death, and many had their hackles raised after one newspaper called the tragic event a suicide.
The family was further angered as a picture of Sarbani used by several papers was not correct.
Already threatening to burst, emotions were further strained when it was discovered that HUKM head of forensic unit, Associate Professor Dr Shahrom Abdul Wahid, must be the one to conduct the review of the post mortem before the body could be released..
And Shahrom was only just returning from a trip, having only touched down at KLIA at 10am.
Yesterday, Sarbani, a Selangor Customs assistant director, was found dead on the ground outside the MACC’s office in Jalan Cochrane here at about 10.20am yesterday, where he is believed to have fallen out of the building’s third-floor window.
He had been remanded on March 29 following an MACC-led swoop on a Customs syndicate that it said was worth billions in unpaid taxes, resulting in the arrests of 62 officers.
MACC has said his visit there was unannounced, something which the late Sarbani’s friends now dispute.
At the Customs main quarters in Kelana Jaya today, the tension and anxiety among its residents continued to build up as the shadows shorten on the gravelled ground.
They jumped up each and every time they heard the wail of sirens in the neighbourhood.
Several uniformed and plainclothes Customs officers from the Kelana Jaya office echoed their unhappiness with news reports.
“It’s the wrong picture-lah,” a tall senior office in uniform told The Malaysian Insider, before stalking off.
His colleague, in a beige T-shirt and trousers, vented his unhappiness with the MACC.
The officer, who did not want to give his name, related that ties among the different federal agencies were strained.
The white-haired man said that the situation today was very different from back in the days when graftbusters were known as the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).
“There didn’t use to be all this spying about,” he said.
“For all we know, there could be spies among them even now,” he added, without elaborating.
The quarters, which comprises five high rise apartment blocks totalling some 600 units and a handful of stand-alone houses, is home to over 3,000 people.
The late Ahmad, a father of five, lived on the sixth floor of Block B, which is designated for senior officers.
Droves of cars and men and women on foot have been packing into the compound since early morning to pay their last respects to a man many described as humble, friendly and easy-going.
One such group said they were Ahmad Sarbani’s childhood friends from Lambor in Perak, between Ipoh and Lumut.
One of them, who gave his age as 53 — only three years younger than the Customs man — said he only found out his friend had died from the 7pm news on TV.
The group fell into silence as they brooded.
One said he was shocked by the manner of his death, but did not continue further.
Others around the wooden table appeared to be as watchful of their words.
One woman, who looked to be in her 30s, suddenly asked about the ongoing royal investigation into the death of Teoh Beng Hock, which she compared to Ahmad Sabarni.
Teoh was a political aide to a Selangor state councillor who was also found dead outside the MACC office two years ago.
It is understood that the 56-year-old’s wife — whose name remains unknown as family and neighbours move to protect the family’s privacy — had been waiting since 11am to receive his body.
The family requested for privacy when met at the door.
“Our story is not over. We have nothing to say. Please leave,” an older man told The Malaysian Insider in a quiet voice.
