White Robe Group: Attack Plan on Batu Pahat Police Station

 Written by : Siti Nurafiqah binti Zulkifle

The peaceful atmosphere in the grounds of Batu Pahat Police Station on the morning of October 16, 1980 suddenly turned anxious and chaotic. A group of 15 men in white robes believed to be a heretical group suddenly entered the hall at about 9.30 am.

They swing swords and knives like people who are possessed. Blood was seen flowing through the station space and screams of pain filled the area, shocking everyone at the police station. This group of white robes did not care about the victim's painful condition but instead continued to swing their weapons.

A Mercedes Benz taxi was hijacked by nine other members of the group and the vehicle was driven towards the front of the police station. Five minutes later, another Mazda 808 car which was also hijacked, entered through the back door of the station and six other members of the group came and joined the attack.

With clothes covering part of their heads, rubber boots, swords which were all white including a white cloth-coated sword sheath and written two sentences of kalimah syahadah, they continued to go crazy

In the attack, 15 followers of the group and 23 people including 14 policemen were injured and seriously injured. A pregnant woman, six civil servants of the police station, an office boy and two civilians who were making reports there were among the victims. A policeman was stabbed with a sword in the head, arms and fingers.

When they wanted to act more violently, repeated gunshots were fired by the police officers who were aware of the attack. The six members of the group collapsed instantly. Seeing their friend dead, the other members of the group fled.

They also stopped at the Batu Pahat District Kadi Office and the Subordinate Court located nearby but no one was injured.

The surviving members of the group went to seek refuge and arrived at Parit Jorak Darat, about 10 kilometers from Batu Pahat, around 11 am.

One of the villagers helped them but he felt strange with their blood-stained condition on their hands, feet and face. After being told by his friend about the attack at the Batu Pahat Police Station, he felt that the group had something to do with the attack.

He went to Tongkang Pechah Police Station and told them everything. The police team, which had launched a massive operation to track down the remaining members of the group, immediately sent a team of policemen to Parit Jorak Darat, at about 1.15 pm.

The villagers' houses were immediately cordoned off and after ignoring the police order to surrender, a raid was carried out. Two members of the group were eventually killed. Police continued to hunt and detain all the remaining members of the group not far from there.

This tragedy is believed to stem from heretical teachings. The attack at the Batu Pahat Police Station on 16 October 1980 marked another tragedy in the history of national security