Al-Ma'unah leader Mohd Amin Mohd Razali once worked as a radio operator with the Batalion 304 army camp in Grik, the High Court hearing the "treason" trial heard today.

Batalion 304 camp is one of the two camps from which an assortment of weapons had been stolen by a group of men, allegedly Al-Ma'unah members impersonating army officers in the early hours of July 2.

Lance Corp Hussin Ismail, who is attached to the camp as a radio operator for the past 10 years, said Mohd Amin was working at the camp from 1992 to 1994.

"As with any radio operator, he too would have undergone courses to adapt himself in handling communication sets," he said.

"He would also have undergone courses to excel as a radio operator, to learn how to decode secret passwords and the proper manner of address in military communication," he added.

Such courses are compulsory for radio operators, said Hussin when testifying at the trial in which 29 Al-Ma'unah members are being charged under section 121 of the Penal Code for waging war or abetting to wage war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. If found guilty, they could face a punishment of death, or life sentence with fine.

They are alleged to have committed the offence between June and July 6 at Pos 2, Km 19, Kuala Rui, Jalanraya Timur-Barat, Grik; Batalion 304, Infantri (AW), Kem Grik, Grik; and in Bukit Jenalik, Sauk, all in Perak[#1] (Twenty-nine Al-Ma'unah members claim trial[/#], Aug 9).

They are alleged to have stolen a cache of weapons and ammunition from two military camps by impersonating army officers in the early hours of July 2.

Unknown caller

Hussin identified Mohd Amin, the first defendant, when asked by senior deputy public prosecutor Abdul Gani Patail if he had seen anyone in the courtroom who was previously attached at the communications unit of Batalion 304.

Hussin, who is the 38th prosecution witness, also

said that at about 8.25am on July 4, while he was on duty as a radio operator, he received a radio call from an unknown person asking for his commanding officer.

He was then standing by his commanding officer's side when the unknown caller spoke and he (Hussin) had recorded most of what transpired in the conversation between the caller and the commanding officer.

"The conservation went on for about one hour and 55 minutes and I recorded as to what I could," he said.

At this juncture, Abdul Gani applied for the court to bar the press from reporting the contents of the conversation as recorded by Hussin.

As with a similar statement from an earlier radio call, justice Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin ruled that this statement should not be released to the public as it could be prejudicial to the accused persons[#1] (Judge rules evidence to be away from the public[/#], Oct 12).

Hussin said the caller had used military terms and the impression he got was that the person was either a serving or a retired soldier.

He said he heard quite clearly the conversation his commanding officer had with the caller and felt alarmed with what the caller said.

He added that from what the caller had to say, he suspected him (the caller) to be part of the group of men who had taken away weapons from the camp.

Hussin also revealed that on July 3 at 11pm, his commanding officer had tried to return a radio call made by the caller earlier on that day but the call went unanswered.

Hussin will be cross examined by the defence counsel when the hearing continues on Oct 30.