Last year, several days before the anniversary of Highland Towers tragedy, I thought of something unthinkable.
I wanted to produce a video on the site and the other two blocks, still standing strong despite fears they might just collapse.
After all, I had the licence to do it. I had two videographers at my disposal to carry out my project.
I voiced my intention during our usual daily meeting and the NSTP Group Managing Editor Datuk Jalil Hamid gave the go-ahead.
Two reporters were assigned for this assignment, Zulita and Balqis Nasir. And for photography, I got the best - Sairien Nafis and of course a videographer, Shahir Othman.
We met in front of the Zoo Negara that fateful morning and decided we go in two cars, As we approached the entrance to the dull and quiet neighbourhood, raising my right hand, I drove through the guard house. The guard did likewise.
Step one completed.
We stopped in front of the road which was once the entrance to the grand condominium blocks and we surveyed the area.
I was armed with a Samsung camera and a powerful torchlight. To get into the area, we had to squeeze through a fence and crawl in a drain.
Zulita volunteered to take care of our cars as she had a bad back. Hmmmmmmm....did I sense fright :)
As one by one entered the other side, we signalled to Zulita to watch her back and ours too. Just in case.
We trudged on to one of the abandoned blocks and went up the hill. Sairien and Shahir were busy shooting from every angle.
I instructed them to stay close. "Do not wander alone," I warned them. Everyone nodded.
We saw the swimming pool, now filled with blackish water and weeds. I imagined the time when children and adults alike were swimming and playing in the pool.
Nothing happened.
Then.....all of a sudden, Don't Worry Be Happy was played. It sounded like a ringtone. But as Sairien took out his handphone, he realised it was not a call.
The song played by itself. We looked at each other, It was already 10am. Nothing to be afraid of, I told them.
I led the team to the block and climbed up the staircase to the first floor.
We entered the first unit and saw a familiar figure on the wall. A weird drawing that had appeared in the movie, with the same title.
That was where the film crew encountered with ghosts and the third beings.
I checked out the master bedroom. Again I closed my eyes trying to think of the good old days when the condominium block was a happy place to stay.
There were two other rooms, a kitchen, dining and a living room with a balcony overlooking the main road.
I spotted Zulita and I zoomed in to her. She was fidgeting with her handphone.
We also check out the lift shaft in front of the unit and went up to the higher floor to check it out. Nothing. Except that, one of the rooms looked clean. Someone (or something) had apparently swept the floor clean.
We took lots of pictures.
Then, I saw a family stopping by in front of the entrance. Three kids got out of the car and went through the drain to get to our side.
They looked around and appeared in a hurry to leave.
Then I thought it was time to leave. We were hungry and thirsty and got down. We walked through a thick mud to get out of the block and proceeded to the site where the block had collapsed.
There was nothing there except shrubs and trees. As we walked through the site, we took lots of photos. And we left the scene, after saying a silent prayer for those who perished.
As we got into the cars, we saw a security guard on a bike coming towards us. We drove on and left the housing estate for lunch in Melawati.
Back in the office, I scrutinised all the photos for anything. None. It was a non event after all. Except this question lingered on: who or what could have pressed the Play button on Sairien's handphone.
I wanted to produce a video on the site and the other two blocks, still standing strong despite fears they might just collapse.
After all, I had the licence to do it. I had two videographers at my disposal to carry out my project.
I voiced my intention during our usual daily meeting and the NSTP Group Managing Editor Datuk Jalil Hamid gave the go-ahead.
Two reporters were assigned for this assignment, Zulita and Balqis Nasir. And for photography, I got the best - Sairien Nafis and of course a videographer, Shahir Othman.
We met in front of the Zoo Negara that fateful morning and decided we go in two cars, As we approached the entrance to the dull and quiet neighbourhood, raising my right hand, I drove through the guard house. The guard did likewise.
Step one completed.
We stopped in front of the road which was once the entrance to the grand condominium blocks and we surveyed the area.
I was armed with a Samsung camera and a powerful torchlight. To get into the area, we had to squeeze through a fence and crawl in a drain.
Zulita volunteered to take care of our cars as she had a bad back. Hmmmmmmm....did I sense fright :)
As one by one entered the other side, we signalled to Zulita to watch her back and ours too. Just in case.
We trudged on to one of the abandoned blocks and went up the hill. Sairien and Shahir were busy shooting from every angle.
I instructed them to stay close. "Do not wander alone," I warned them. Everyone nodded.
We saw the swimming pool, now filled with blackish water and weeds. I imagined the time when children and adults alike were swimming and playing in the pool.
Nothing happened.
Then.....all of a sudden, Don't Worry Be Happy was played. It sounded like a ringtone. But as Sairien took out his handphone, he realised it was not a call.
The song played by itself. We looked at each other, It was already 10am. Nothing to be afraid of, I told them.
I led the team to the block and climbed up the staircase to the first floor.
We entered the first unit and saw a familiar figure on the wall. A weird drawing that had appeared in the movie, with the same title.
That was where the film crew encountered with ghosts and the third beings.
I checked out the master bedroom. Again I closed my eyes trying to think of the good old days when the condominium block was a happy place to stay.
There were two other rooms, a kitchen, dining and a living room with a balcony overlooking the main road.
I spotted Zulita and I zoomed in to her. She was fidgeting with her handphone.
We also check out the lift shaft in front of the unit and went up to the higher floor to check it out. Nothing. Except that, one of the rooms looked clean. Someone (or something) had apparently swept the floor clean.
We took lots of pictures.
Then, I saw a family stopping by in front of the entrance. Three kids got out of the car and went through the drain to get to our side.
They looked around and appeared in a hurry to leave.
Then I thought it was time to leave. We were hungry and thirsty and got down. We walked through a thick mud to get out of the block and proceeded to the site where the block had collapsed.
There was nothing there except shrubs and trees. As we walked through the site, we took lots of photos. And we left the scene, after saying a silent prayer for those who perished.
As we got into the cars, we saw a security guard on a bike coming towards us. We drove on and left the housing estate for lunch in Melawati.
Back in the office, I scrutinised all the photos for anything. None. It was a non event after all. Except this question lingered on: who or what could have pressed the Play button on Sairien's handphone.
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