Ops Ngerapuh Picking Up Speed

Following the PM's visit to Sarawak's rural areas on 23 February 2010 where he made the pledge to help bring back the remains of the Iban Trackers and Sarawak Rangers who were KIA and buried throughout the Peninsula and Singapore, things started to move quickly. Presumably, the words / instructions had gone down to the Defence Minister, then to the Chief of the Armed Forces, then down to the Army Chief. Finally, it went down to the Malaysian Rangers Corp Chairman, Brig Gen Dato' Zulkifli. When I received a sms from the Commanding Officer 9 Rangers on 1 March 2010, informing me that Gen Zulkifli wanted to know more on Ops Ngerapuh, I was actually in KL attending a business seminar. Anyway, I made an appointment to see and brief him on Ops Ngerapuh on 2 March 2010.

I was briefing Brig General Dato' Zulkifli

Then, on 3 March 2010, I was informed by Major Monday Juhid, Director of the Veterans Affairs, Sarawak Branch, who happened to be one of my committee members in Kuching that the Deputy Chief Minister of Sarawak, Tan Sri Dr Alfred Jabu ak. Numpang wanted to convene a meeting to discuss on Ops Ngerapuh on 5 March 2010. Amongst those who attended were representatives from the Prime Minister's Department, the Army, Sarawak Museum, Land and Survey Sarawak and some members of my original committee. I flew down to Kuching on 4 March and was shocked to find out that a last-minute booking of Air Asia was 3 or 4 times more expensive than usual. There will be more meetings in Kuching which I have got to attend. As this is purely voluntary, I had been using my own expenses. Now that the frequency of meetings are expected to increase, I definitely need some financial support from the Government of Sarawak. I have whispered this to DCM's political secretary but will follow up with a letter the next few days.

The conference chaired by the DCM, Tan Sri Alfred Jabu. I am seated on his right.

The coverage in the Borneo Post the next day.