Thursday 19 November 2009

Op Ngerapuh is Back on Track

Op Ngerapuh is Back on Track After 6 months of inactivity and not knowing whether the project is on or has been derailed, I finally received the good news on 10 November 2009. A 15.4 acres site at Kota Sentosa near Penrissen Camp has been identified. On 20 November 2009, I made a press release through the States' Borneo Post:

Kota Sentosa 15-acre site for heroes

With monument and cemetery plot identified, remains of rangers and trackers set to return home

KUCHING: The dream of bringing home the remains of Sarawak Rangers and trackers who were killed in the peninsula and Singapore during the Emergency is now a step closer to realisation with their final resting place identified.‘Ops Ngerapuh’ organising chairman Lt Col (Rtd) Robert Rizal Abdullah announced yesterday that Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) chairman Datuk Talib Zulpilip had helped to locate a piece of land for the Heroes’ Monument and the cemetery near Kota Sentosa.

“A 15.4-acre state land has been identified by the Land and Survey Department as the site for the Heroes’ Monument where the remains of the Iban trackers and Sarawak Rangers killed and buried in Semenanjung and Singapore during the First Malayan Emergency will be relocated to,” he said in a press statement yesterday. Robert said according to Talib, who played an important role in helping the committee realise the plan, “the next phase is to get it officially approved and alienated to SEDC for that purpose”.

“The proposed design and layout has also been made. It will have to go through the committee before it is approved,” said Robert.

He said a fund-raising campaign would be launched and he hoped the states where they had given their lives to would also contribute to the fund.

Any remaining balance from the fund would be used to improve the welfare of trackers and members of the Sarawak Rangers still alive today, said Robert.

He said part of the fund-raising effort was the sale of multi-coloured T-shirts now in progress. According to him, a percentage of the sale would go to ‘Ops Ngerapuh’ Fund. Those who wish to make orders can call Lian Hun at 016-8950203.

Robert was inspired to organise the return of the dead Sarawak Rangers and trackers by the late Lance Corporal Ungkok Jugam, a Sarawak Ranger whose grave was found on a patch of green on a road shoulder in Jalan Langgar, Alor Setar last year.

Ungkok, who is from Lubok Antu, had served at the height of the first emergency in Malaya from 1948 to 1960. He was reburied in a more dignified grave at St Michael’s Catholic Church at Jalan Sultanah on April 28, 2009.

Since learning of Ungkok’s case, Robert had tracked down 21 Sarawak Rangers and trackers, including one border scout. They are buried at Batu Gajah Christian Cemetery, Cheras Road Cemetery, Kamunting Road Christian Cemetery, Batu Gajah Christian Cemetery and Kranji Military Cemetery in Singapore.

Robert’s plan had received the support of the state’s leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu Numpang.

Proposed Layout of the Heroes' Monument

13 comments:

  1. Congratulations!!

    Great effort...our moral support from a small cornern in northern SArawak.

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  2. Dear Sir,

    My heartiest congratulations to you and your committee members. Being a Sarawakian even though not from the Rangers regiment, your countless effort to champion this cause will be remembered to the last days by our living heroes. Well done Sir.

    Regards

    Ex Askar Melayu Sarawak

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  3. Dear Anonymous,

    Thank you for the moral support. It means a lot to me.

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  4. Dear Col Rizal PGB Sir,

    1. I begin to learn about your blog through somebody blogs site. You have devoted your precious time and effort with lots of historical input to be recognised not only as a living hero but deserved to be given a special recognition for your tireless contributions to the nation as a whole and Sarawak State Government in particular.

    2. I strongly feels that Col Rizal should deserved to be honoured with Sarawak Datukship.

    3. Dear Sarawak Politician, wakeup...wakeup.. we still have Sarawak born hero. Don't wait till he lost his last breath before we can give him a reasonable recognition.

    4. Being a Sarawakian who have served with the Malaysian Armed Forces for 32 years and treated like a Gurkha in the British Army, I personally beg the TYT and CM of Sarawak to confer Col Rizal with the Sarawak Datukship.

    5. I knew Col Rizal very well as we have served in the same Infantry Brigade. He is a dedicated and loyal Army Officer with full of bravery (Real Iban Fighters). As a pensioner now, I really salute him and the rest of our Sarawak heroes like Kanang ak Langkau. I hope both of you are still in the best of health always.

    6. Lastly, please accept my heartiest congratulations to you and your committee members and my dearest regards to Kak Puteri.

    Semoga doa ku diperkenankan. Amin.

    Yang Benar

    Din KP

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  5. Dear Col Rizal PGB Sir,

    RALAT... Sorry Sir, not Kak Puteri but Kak Raja Noriah.

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  6. Dear Din KP,

    You flatter me with your praises. I'm just a simple man with simple needs. I don't hope for anything from my home State but I want to give something for them to remember me by. This is one of them. I only wish I can live for a thousand years so that I can give more.

    As President JFK once said: Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country.

    Can you post me a photo of yourself? I cannot remember you by your name only.

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  7. Dear Din,

    I thought you were referring to my daughter Puteri Azlin.

    Apology accepted. She is fine. We are both doing Hai-O business. It is keeping us very busy but at the same time helping old and sick people. At the same time cari duit to compliment my pension!!! Yes, even at 60 still cari makan and trying to improve my life.

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  8. RRA, Congratulations and I hope we will have a monument of our own to honor our fallen heroes who sacrificed so much, their limbs and lives for the country and it is such an honorable effort that you have done! Salute to you.

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  9. cograte....this is good news...
    we have a high quality soldier....
    agi idup agi ngelaban...
    i need sir permission to post this articel in my blog sir...
    tq

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  10. kami sangat2 terharu dan sangat2 bangga dengan usaha daddy....tabikkkk Tuan!!!!!!

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