This week is part 7 of my multimedia documentary, Guide To Afghanistan: The Adventures of a KL-ite, which includes video, still photos an text. As you would know, this is concurrent with the 10-part feature on The Malaysian Insider website, of which you can view part 7 here:
Malaysia at war!
By Zan Azlee
JAN 23 — Being a journalist, one of my dreams has always been to be embedded with the military in a conflict zone. I had been to and reported on conflict zones before, but always as an external journalist and never embedded, and when I was given the chance to do so, I jumped at the opportunity.
It wasn’t so much of an opportunity that cropped up rather than one that I had to persistently pursue and create for myself for more than a year. I had been writing multiple e-mails and making phone calls to the Ministry of Defence ever since I learnt that Malaysia had started deploying troops to Afghanistan.
But my attempts were never fruitful and I finally decided I would just head to Afghanistan on my own without being embedded in the military, just like the times I’ve been to Beirut in Lebanon, and Patani in Southern Thailand to produce my wartime documentaries and news reports.
I had been in Kabul for almost a week shooting and filing news stories for the TV station that was commissioning me as a correspondent when I thought I would just send a text message to Lt. Col. Salawati Yahaya, the army’s Media Operations Director, in Kuala Lumpur to say that I was in Afghanistan.
Her reply caught me by surprise. Probably impressed (or shocked!) at my ballsy move to just head to Afghanistan on my own, she managed to get clearance from her bosses to actually allow me to be embedded with MALCON ISAF 2, the Malaysian contingent that was currently serving in Bamiyan. [Click to read the full article at The Malaysian Insider]
Guide to Afghanistan: The Adventures of a KL-ite
Part 7 of 10
‘Malaysia at war!’
Zan arrives at the military base in Bamiyan to be embedded with the Malaysian Armed forces in the war in Afghanistan.
Full Synopsis:
Zan Azlee, a Malaysian KL-ite journalist who has lived all his life in non-conflict zones, travels to Afghanistan to see if he can come up with the best travel guide for the country. With no idea what he is getting himself into, he dodges suicide bombers and IEDs, and even gets embedded with the army, to plan out the best tourist route in Afghanistan. This is a multimedia documentary produced by Fat Bidin Media and directed by solo-journalist Zan Azlee.
To view all the episodes, head to FATBIDIN.COM/AFGHANISTAN.
Click the thumbnails below to launch the photo essay (Part 7).
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- Ariel view of Kabul city.
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- Security personnel on the USAID helicopter flight to Bamiyan.
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- Ariel view of Afghanistan’s landscape.
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- Ariel view of Afghanistan’s landscape.
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- Major Dr Mohamad Arshil Moideen, of MALCON ISAF 2
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- Capt. Mohd Faddillah Ahmad leading the mandatory security briefing before heading out on patrol.
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- Saying prayers before heading out on patrol.
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- The view from Kiwi Base in Bamiyan city.
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- The men of MALCON ISAF 2 taking a cigarette break while on patrol.
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- MALCON ISAF 2 commander, Lt. Col. Rusman Sanip, speaking to the local Afghans during a stop for provisions.
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- The writer sharing a laugh with MALCON ISAF 2 commander, Lt. Col. Rusman Sanip.
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- Security personnel, Corp. Mohd Saiful Karim.
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- A routine vehicle check while on the road.
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- Sergeant Azizan Hashim making sure the coast is clear for the rest of the team.
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- The Malaysian flag flying high in the mountains of Afghanistan.
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- Hanging out with a Hazarat boy in Bamiyan city.
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