MOURN
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (fourth left) yesterday led hundreds of mourners at the funeral of a journalist declared a “national hero” after he was shot dead in war-ravaged Mogadishu.

The body of Noramfaizul Mohamed Nor, 39, who worked as a television cameraman for the national news agency Bernama, arrived home on board a Malaysian military aircraft from the Somali capital. Najib cut short a visit to Australia to be present at the Subang military airbase on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur to receive his body, along with senior ministers and family members. “I regard Noramfaizul as a national hero whose good deed should inspire us to continue helping the less fortunate,” the premier told reporters at the funeral ceremony held at the airbase’s mosque. Noramfaizul was killed and a cameraman from the private news channel TV-3 was wounded on Friday after a fire fight broke out between African Union troops and local militiamen in Mogadishu. Noramfaizul is believed to be the first Malaysian journalist killed abroad while on assignment.