Cover image via SAYS.com
A Week Before Malaysia Went To Polls In GE13, RMAF Officer Major Zaidi Ahmad Casted His Vote In The Early Voting. Noticing That The Indelible Ink On His Finger Washed Off After Mere Hours, He Lodged A Police Report.
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The Pilot With Over 25 Years Of Service Was Quickly Punished For Performing What Many Would Consider A Public And Moral Duty. Instead Of Investigating His Allegations, Major Zaidi Was Quickly Relieved Of His Duties In The Air Force.
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The Father Of Four Was Grounded To A Desk Job And Even Court-Martialled. He Risked Losing His Job, His Pension And Would Face Two Years Of Prison If Found Guilty.
After More Than A Year Of Hearing, The Military Court Found Major Zaidi Ahmad Guilty On 12 January
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His First Charge Was For Making A Media Statement About The Ineffectiveness Of The Indelible Ink Without Approval From The Defence Ministry
The Second Charge Was For Leaking Official Information About His Transfer Letter To The Media Without Approval From The Armed Forces Council
Major Zaidi Also Faces Three More Charges For Sending SMSes That Were Political In Nature
All These While, Major Zaidi Maintained That He Is Not Guilty
Throughout The Ordeal, The Soft-Spoken Pilot Received Support From Pahlawan, Bersih And 40 Other NGOs
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"Why Was Action Taken Against Major Zaidi, When He Was Speaking For The Sake Of Public Interest? This Is An Injustice That Cannot Be Accepted When We Talk About Democracy," An April 2014 Statement From The NGOs Read
Following The Verdict, Military Court Judge Colonel Saadon Hasnan Has Dismissed Major Zaidi From His Duty. This Was After The Prosecutor Requested For A Heavier Punishment To Serve As A Warning For Other Armed Forces Members.
Major Zaidi Ahmad's Lawyer Said His Only Crime Was For Courageously Speaking Out On Problems With The Electoral Process
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The Decision To Prosecute The Whistleblower Has Also Disappointed Malaysians Who Have Been Seen Hailing Him As A Hero, "His Duty Is To Serve And Protect His Country, Now He Is Being Punished For Doing That."
Reactions found on a [Low Yat](https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/3467329) forum sees Malaysian saluting Major Zaidi for his bravery to speak out against the authorities:
"His freedom of speech has won his support from normal citizen but not freedom from the government."
"His duty is to serve and protect his country, now he is being punished for doing that."
"A minute of silence to one brave soul. A major that that brave enough to tell the truth instead following orders without asking any questions."
"When the government is wrong nobody is right."
Major Zaidi Did Not Retreat Even After He Was Pronounced Guilty. When He Was Given A Chance To Address The Military Panel, He Chastised Them For Having A Political Agenda.
The Court Interrupted His Speech, Forcing Him To Silence, But It Was Not Before He Ended With A Chilling Line That Summed Up His Dismay At The System, "I Have Nothing More To Say. We Will Meet Again In Allah's Court."
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