The 1973 Batu Gajah Train Bombing Incident

The train bombing incident that occurred near the railway station in Batu Gajah on June 22, 1973, is increasingly being forgotten. For the elderly around the Batu Gajah area, they may still remember the story of this incident, which was a major topic of conversation at the time.

As a result of the bomb explosion at the Batu Gajah railway station, 13 people were injured and 2 of them passed away. The explosion occurred at approximately 1:40 AM on June 22, 1973.

The bomb explosion, which claimed the lives of 2 passengers, occurred in a 3rd-class passenger carriage. The train was on its regular route from Kuala Lumpur to Pulau Pinang. Most of the passengers in that carriage were members of the 11th Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment. These national heroes were personnel from Kluang, Johor, who were on their way to the Malaysia-Thailand border for duty.

Of the 11 victims of the bomb blast, four were civilians, six were military personnel, and one was a jungle police officer. One of the civilians was a pregnant woman who was also the wife of one of the victims.

One of those killed in the explosion was a civilian, and the Ministry of Defence made an announcement in Kuala Lumpur the following afternoon identifying the soldier who was killed as Darman bin Mat, who hailed from Pasir Putih, Kelantan.

Darman, a soldier, is said to have died shortly after the explosion occurred. This was because the bomb detonated directly beneath his seat. The remains of Darman bin Mat were flown to Kelantan the morning after the incident to be buried in his hometown.

The civilian killed during the bomb explosion was an individual named Khalid bin Awang from Kulim, Kedah. The deceased was believed to be on his way home to his village and passed away at 4:00 AM at the Ipoh General Hospital while receiving treatment.

Four individuals injured in the explosion were reported to be in critical condition and received treatment at the Ipoh General Hospital. One of them was a police officer named Taharuddin Bin Idris from the 8th Battalion of the jungle police, who was stationed in the state of Johor.

Meanwhile, the remaining 7 victims were treated at Batu Gajah Hospital. Among them were Corporal Abu Bakar bin Ayob, 26, and his 20-year-old pregnant wife, as well as another victim, a soldier named Osman bin Ismail, 23.

the condition of the carriage damaged by the bomb explosion

As a result of the bomb explosion, the roof of the passenger carriage had a large hole, and the windows and seats inside were severely damaged. Fragments of the bomb were also found scattered throughout the carriage. The Perak Chief Police Officer, Deputy Commissioner Mahmood bin Mohd Yunus, and the commander of the 2nd Malaysian Infantry Brigade, Brig. General Abdul Latiff Bin Hussein, along with several police and military officers, arrived at the scene to conduct further investigations.

After the investigation was conducted, the police believed that the bomb explosion was caused by a hand grenade that detonated accidentally. The bomb was believed to have been inside a military bag placed under the seat of the deceased, Darman bin Mat, who was from Pasir Putih, Kelantan.

The explosion caused the journey of the train, which was carrying 22 carriages, to be delayed for several hours. The carriage damaged by the explosion was the sixth from the front and was left behind at the Batu Gajah railway station.

The remaining carriages were moved, and the journey to the destination continued with approximately 500 passengers at exactly 3:25 AM. Corporal Abu Bakar, when interviewed by a Berita Harian reporter at the hospital, said that he was sitting with his wife and they were on their way to his wife's hometown, Normah, in Bukit Mertajam, Pulau Pinang.

He further added that he was fast asleep and woke up when the explosion occurred and the carriage shook violently. At the same time, he felt as if his forehead had been struck, and the interior of the carriage was very noisy with the screams of other passengers. Seeing the state of the carriage at that time was terrifying. The entire carriage was dark with thick white smoke, and seeing his pregnant wife beside him, who was also injured, was truly frightening.

Sources and references:

• Berita Harian June 23, 1973