Veterans share untold stories of war
KLANG: Many courageous individuals in the Armed Forces have sacrificed their lives to protect the nation, yet unfortunately, not many Malaysians are aware of these heroes.
To commemorate these distinguished individuals and their sacrifices, the Malaysian Armed Forces Chinese Veterans Association (Macva) has released a paperback titled Memoirs: Malaya and Borneo at War.
'Each chapter in the book is written by the veterans themselves, sharing their stories and how they fought tooth and nail to protect the country.
'Some of their comrades died for the nation, leaving the survivors to tell their posthumous stories,' said former navy officer Lt (Rtd) Mary Koh, one of Macva's three vice-presidents.
Kol (Rtd) Zulkifli Tahir, from the Royal Malay Regiment, is one of the authors who shares various experiences in his chapter called 'The Choice You Make Dictates the Life You Lead'.
He recounts the incident where he lost part of his right leg to a booby trap during operations against communists at the Kuala Muda Forest Reserve in Kedah in early 1986.
Kol Zulkifli Tahir had lost his right leg while battling the communists.
The former soldier vividly describes the condition of his right leg following the blast, as well as details the injuries suffered by some of his platoon members.
Zulkifli, who retired from the army after 40 years of service in 2020, said that during his time, people joined the military without expecting anything in return other than the chance to serve the nation.
'We were also colour blind as when you are in battle, it's the person on your right, left, front and back that will be looking out for you regardless of who they are,'' he said when contacted.
Retired army engineer Lt Kol Raymond Goh Boon Pah recounts the story of a Nepalese Gurkha soldier who fought alongside Malaysian troops in Sarawak during the Indonesian Confrontation in 1965.
The soldier, then L/Cpl Rambahadur Limbu, was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest British decoration, for his courageous efforts in defending Malaysia's sovereignty as well as rescuing his injured comrades.
He returned home to Nepal and died at the age of 83 in 2023.
A representative of His Majesty King Charles lll attended hiis funeral.
In addition to stories shared by military officers and personnel, former police special branch Supt Datuk Paul Kiong's account of his experiences during the height of the communist insurgency is one of the standout chapters in the book.
When contacted, Kiong explained that the police and military often collaborated by sharing intelligence in their fight against communist insurgency.
Supt Datuk Paul Kiong, during his days in the jungle with the communists to gather intelligence.
'Our teams had a very close working relationship – they had the numbers, and we had the expertise for covert operations.
'To infiltrate and gather intelligence within the communist strongholds, we relied heavily on the Chinese community, and the police special branch had many Chinese officers,' he said.
Kiong himself had successfully infiltrated a communist fort and lived among them for six years, collecting crucial intelligence.
Now 81, Kiong shared that he had helped turn a large number of former communists over for rehabilitation, with many of them eventually becoming his close friends.
'We meet regularly, and they are very grateful for the second chance I gave them.
'I could have easily killed them when I brought them out,' said Kiong, who added that the rehabilitated individuals now lead ordinary lives, and their children are now productive and respectable members of society.
For his valour, Kiong was bestowed the Darjah Kebesaran Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa, which is Malaysia's highest federal award.
The book, which was edited by a team led by former army surgeon Lt-Kol (Rtd) Dr Liew Ngoh Chin, will be launched on June 1 by former chief of defence forces Jen (Rtd) Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor, the navy's first Malaysian chief Rear Admiral (Rtd) Tan Sri K. Thanabalasingam, and the air force's first non-British chief Air Vice-Marshal (Rtd) Tan Sri Sulaiman Sujak.
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