Penang honours heroic auxiliary policeman

GEORGE TOWN: An auxiliary policeman who rescued a 28-year-old woman from drowning after she fell from the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Bridge (Second Penang Bridge) here was honoured by the caretaker state government.
Officials from the National Security Council in George Town paid tribute to Zaidi Salleh, 52, and handed him an appreciation certificate for his heroic rescue effort on Wednesday.
Zaidi also received an RM500 reward from the state government and posed for photographs with caretaker Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and State Secretary Datuk Seri Farizan Darus.
On Thursday, the bridge operator also held a brief appreciation ceremony for him.
In response to criticism from netizens on his rescue approach, Zaidi who is a trained scuba diver took it in his stride and pledged to improve his skills.
"I will look at the criticism in a positive light and be strong about it. I plan to train harder, so next time, I can be better prepared to assist those in need," said Zaidi who hails from Permatang Pauh here.
In the 1pm incident on Wednesday, Zaidi who used to be part of the rapid rescue unit of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, repelled down six metres to rescue the victim, before a rescue vessel from the bridge's support unit rushed over to pluck the duo from the open seas of the Penang Channel.
Parts of the daring rescue were captured on a smartphone, which went viral after it was uploaded online shortly after 2pm.
Minutes earlier, the woman stopped her vehicle at KM 9.9 of the lane heading towards Batu Maung on the island and plunged into the water.
She clung to the barriers beneath and screamed for help, prompting Zaidi, who overheard the distress call on the walkie-talkie to rush to the area and initiate the rescue.