Op Ngerapuh Full Steam Ahead

The New Straits Time 24 February 2010. As a follow up on the PM's speech aired over the TV last night, the NST followed up with the news - see picture above. With the government now committing itself fully on this project, I now can breath easy. The government machineries will definitely be doing the necessary works to exhume and relocate the remains of the Iban Trackers and Sarawak Rangers back to Sarawak. A 15.4 acre site has been acquired and the master plan for the memorial drawn and worked out. God willing, the remains of the fighters will be brought home soon and closer to their next-of-kins and where they could be accorded proper respect.

Sarawak State Award

I received a letter from the office of the TYT Yang DiPertua Negeri Sarawak (Governor) dated 8 January 2010. The investiture ceremony for the award, Pegawai Bintang Kenyalang (PBK), which was awarded to me in 2008, was going to be done on 2 & 3 February 2010 at Astana Sarawak. I was one of the 110 recipients. Since we were allowed to bring a guest, I took my spouse along. It was a welcomed change for her. After all, she hadn't been to Kuching for about a year. We took a direct flight from Penang on 1 February 2010 at about 7 pm. Our return flight on 4 February 2010, likewise, was also at night (9 pm). The ceremonmy was simple yet solemn - befitting a State Award. We were treated to a luncheon after the ceremony.

Receiving the PBK from TYT Yang DiPertua Negeri Sarawak.

"Gambar kenangan" with Tan Sri Dr Alfred Jabu ak. Numpang, Sarawak's Deputy Chief Minister.

The maniature of the PBK medal

The Pegawai Bintang Kenyalang (PBK) - a neck order.

Op Ngerapuh Stranded?

What is stopping Op Ngerapuh (relocating the remains of the Iban Trackers and Sarawak Rangers killed during the First Malayan Emergency 1948 - 1960 and buried in Malaya back to their homeland in Kuching)? Why has Op Ngerapuh ran aground?

Based on the numerous calls of support I have received, it is a project the people of Sarawak wants. I have done my utmost. I have seen the Chief Minister, the Deputy CM and other Ministers. They have vowed their support. My committee and I have got the consent of the next-of-kins of the deceased to exhume and bring the remains back to Kuching and rebury them in a Heroes Memorial. We have acquired a 15.4 acre site not far from the City of Kuching.

After having done all these, somebody seemed to have put the brake on the project. I have written to the Deputy Chief Minister of Sarawak and the Defence Minister of Malaysia for implemention of the final phase to exhume the graves and bring the remains back to Kuching. Sadly, it has been a couple of months now and there is no encouraging words. What are in their minds? I'm I being a busybody? Am I looking for publicity and popularity? My answer is a big NO. I'm just a humble ex soldier who is trying to be a good citizen and do his part to contribute something worthwhile to his race - the Iban community. I want to set up a Heroes Memorial to remember the world-famous Iban Trackers and Sarawak Rangers who had fought well and sacrificed their lives in a foreign land and had made Sarawak and in particular the Ibans proud. Their sacrifices and heroism must never be allowed to disappear and be forgotten by the past, present and future generations. That is all I want to do. I am not hoping for something in return. I still remember what President JFK had said. " ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY."

I feel down at the moment. What shall I do next? Shall I get the Dayaks Organisations to pick it up and put the pressure on the government?

Any ideas out there?

2 February 2010

I was called by the Astana Sarawak to receive a State Award " Pegawai Bintang Kenyalang (PBK)" on 3 February 2010. I flew down with my wife from Penang on 1 Feb 10 and stayed at my favourite hotel by the Water Front.

After the rehearsal on the morning of 2 Feb 10, a colleague, Laksmana Madya (Rtd) Marzuki Andong and I went to pay a courtesy call on our junior schoolmate who is now an assistant minister. On arrival at his office we met another schoolmate, Philip Assan. It was a mini reunion for the four of us.

I took the opportunity to pour out my problems regards Ops Ngerapuh to the YB Assistant Minister. He promised to help. I didn't doubt his pledge as he was the one who has acquired the 15.4 acre site for the Heroes Memorial in Kuching.

So, there is hope yet for Ops Ngerapuh!

23 February 2010. 8 pm

The Prime Minister, in his speech during a visit to one of the Iban long houses in Sarawak, announced that he will help to bring back the remains of the Iban Trackers and Sarawak Rangers killed during the First Emergency (1948 - 1960) in Malaya back to Sarawak.

I am crying with joy now. At last our efforts to lobby the case with the Federal Government has been successful. It is now in good hands. The next move depend very much on what the government intends to do. Is there a need to launch our fund raising? We will see. Syukur Alhamdullilah.

Held in High Esteem

One of the Ibans Royal Marine Commando

David Lagan and his Tracker Dog

Presentation of a Green Beret (RM Commando) to a Sarawak Ranger by CO of 42 Cdo RM, Lt Col B.I.S Gourley, in Semenggo Camp, Kuching in 1963. This soldier has just recovered from a wound.

An ex 40 and 42 Commando Royal Marines, David Lagan, stumbled into me in The Manchesters website where I'm a member. The Manchesters was one of the British Regiments where the Iban Trackers and Sarawak Rangers were attached to during the First Emergency in Malaya 1948 - 1960. The site is my source of information. Indeed, the guys, like Apai George, who are ex Manchesters themselves have fond memories of the Ibans attached to them at that time. David Lagan who was 18 years old then, was involved in the mopping up operation of the Brunei Rebellion in 1962, together with soldiers of the Sarawak Rangers. The Royal Marine Commandos held the Iban soldiers in high esteem. According to David Lagan, "The Ibans are a part of Commando folklore and are regarded as the loyalist comrades we ever worked with." David Lagan wrote, " When the Commando Brigade left Malaya all the Ibans were presented with a green Beret. British Army personnel were not able to serve with the Commando Bde unless they had completed the Commando course. It says a lot about the esteem they were held in by the Brigade!"

A Mysterious Sarawak Rangers Grave.

A Mysterious Sarawak Rangers Grave.

According to the record, there are only four Sarawak Rangers buried in Taiping Christian Cemetery. When I visited the graves on 3 December 2009, I saw a fifth headstone with the inscriptions (some words were missing): ".............Malaysian Rangers died on 16 Jul 1958 11 months 10 days Rh Gawang, Sg Pakan, Julau, Kanowit." Firstly, the 1st Battalion Malaysian Rangers was only formed on 16 September 1963, when Malaysia was formed. If any members of the Rangers had been buried there on 16 July 1958, it definitely was not a "Malaysian Rangers" but a "Sarawak Rangers". Who could have been buried there? This headstone is not the usual standard granite with the Sarawak Rangers badge inscribed on it. Even the words are roughly written. As the age of the deceased was 11 months and 10 days, could it be the child of one of the Sarawak Rangers? Following this, there are a lot of questions in my mind. Were Sarawak Rangers allowed to bring their wives/families along with them to Malaya? Were they given proper housing? Where were they based at that time? Were there any of them in Taiping, Perak? As of now, we do not know. There are very little documented records kept by the Malaysian Army. Most, if not all are kept by the British Army/Administration in various archives in London.

The four Sarawak Rangers Graves with a fifth mysterious grave.

The mysterious Sarawak Rangers grave

900815 Pte Kumpang ak. Tinggi

900665 Pte Nyambik ak. Pasang

900601 Pte Letan ak Kusing

900172 Pte Ugap ak Utut

The Manchester Regiment - An Illustrious Link from the Past.

The Manchester Regiment - An Illustrious Link From the Past.

In the middle of 2009, Robert Bonner from the official website of The Manchester Regiment of the British Army found my blog http://pgbwarrior.blogspot.com/ Since then I have been communicating with “Apai Tuai” George and the later. ( “Apai Tuai”is an Iban title respectfully given to an elder.)

Through the blog they knew about my attempt to research the exploits of the Iban Trackers and Sarawak Rangers and their involvement in the First Malayan Emergency 1948 – 1960.

“Apai Tuai” George was with the Manchester Regiment in Malaya in the early 50s and he personally knew some of the Iban Trackers such as Cpl Adrian Tandang, who died later in a contact with the CTs. He has fond memories of them.

My two-way relationship with Apai Tuai George has been very fruitful. He has given me a lot of invaluable informations that have thrown lights on the otherwise mysterious Iban Trackers in Malaya.

The Manchester Regiment had suffered a number of KIAs. Six of them were laid to rest in Kamunting Christian Cemetery (Taiping).

Apai Tuai George had requested if I could take pictures of the burial sites and send them to him through their website, which I finally did on 3 December 2009. Sorry George for the delay.

I went down to Kamunting Christian Cemetery that morning. The Cemetery is situated along the Taiping - Kamunting road - just about two kilometres from the centre of Taiping town and about 200 metres from TESCO and Taiping Sentral. It is sandwiched between residential / business lots and a BHP petrol station. The Cemetery is no longer in use. There are a number of Commonwealth Forces KIAs buried there. When I came in, I met two Tamil men (father and son) who were apparently the caretaker of the place. They seemed to know the locations of each and every headstone there. When I inquired about the six Manchesters, they brought me to the locations without hesitation.

Entrance to the Cemetery

J. Grady, T. Arands & T. Traynor

J Grady

T. Arands

T. Traynor

R H Smith, W M Baillie & M Harrison

R H Smith

W M Baillie

M Harrison

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