Civil Defence Force member dies after king cobra bite during demonstration

Muhamad Muazam Shah Kamardin, a 39-year-old Sergeant of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), passed away after being bitten by a king cobra during a reptile handling demonstration in Temerloh, Pahang.

The incident occurred during the ‘National Healthy Malaysia Agenda Tour’ at the Dewan Taman Temerloh Jaya. While demonstrating snake control techniques to the public, a king cobra bit Muazam Shah on his right middle finger. Despite the injury, he reportedly maintained professionalism by securing the snake in a container before attempting to wash his hand, after which he collapsed.

He was rushed to Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital (HoSHAS) and placed in the red zone, but succumbed to the venom at 1:50 a.m. His sister noted that he was a reptile enthusiast who kept various snakes at home and that this was the fourth time he had been bitten by a snake in his life, including a previous incident that had left him in a coma.