https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2024/05/19/black-beret-warriors-lay-life-on-the-line-for-nation/
FMT:
‘Black beret’ warriors lay
life on the line for nation
Many in the army’s Royal Armoured Corps took on covert missions as they fought the communists in a newly-independent Malaya.
KUALA LUMPUR: Distinguished by their “black berets”, the men in the army’s Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) are renowned for their bravery.
For four decades, the men have kept Malaya’s – and later Malaysia’s – shores and sovereignty intact against marauding insurgents, including the North Kalimantan Communist Party (Paraku) and Sarawak Clandestine Organisation.
Many put their lives on the line as the eyes and ears of the security forces in the fight against the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and other terrorists, in the early days of a newly-independent nation.
They were the boots on the ground during the First and Second Emergencies (1948-1960 and 1968-1989); the Confrontation with Indonesia (1963-66); and during the May 13, 1969 racial riots.
Mention the army’s Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) and heavily armoured wheeled and tracked vehicles for patrol and escort duties instantly spring to mind.
But many RAC officers and other ranks were roped in to undertake covert reconnaissance duties deep in the forests, gathering intelligence on enemy positions and intended attacks against security personnel and facilities.
Among these officers were Lt Col (Rtd) Otto Ong, 90, Major (Rtd) Salehuddin Muttalib, 76, Major-General (Rtd) Che Hasni Che Ahmad, 71, and Brig-Gen (Rtd) Mahmood Ibrahim, 72.
Ong, a former commanding officer of the RAC’s 2nd Regiment, said the four of them were involved in countless intelligence missions, putting their lives on the line while fighting tooth and nail alongside other enforcement agencies.
United Nations Peacekeepers
RAC members were in the thick of action in various operations in “hot areas” along Malaysia’s borders with Thailand and Indonesia, including Gerik, Perak; Baling, Kedah; Sri Aman, Sarawak; and Tawau in Sabah.
“The RAC’s role became very significant after the 2nd Regiment was deployed as United Nations peacekeepers in the former Belgian colony of Congo (later Zaire) in October 1960, supporting the Royal Malay Regiment’s 6th Battalion and special forces infantry units.
“Our successful contribution earned us tremendous international recognition, boosting our morale in later UN peace-keeping duties in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as in the fight against the communist insurgents on home soil.
“Like other personnel from various armed forces and police units, many have been overlooked for their extraordinary tenacity and valour. Nevertheless, a good number have been awarded bravery medals and promotions,” he said.
Met by FMT at the RAC’s Aidilfitri reunion at the Grand Barakah Hotel in Ampang, Ong recounted how some of his comrades were captured by the enemy and ended up being tortured as prisoners-of-war.
“While some of the episodes were sweet, many of them were bitter and horrifying. Those who survived, in later years upon retirement, suffered psychological trauma and physical disabilities from injuries sustained during assault operations.”
Che Hasni recalled how many of the RAC’s vehicles – such as ferret scout cars, Commando V150 and other armoured personnel carriers – were attacked and blown up by enemy booby traps and heavy gunfire.
Salehuddin, who was bestowed the Panglima Gagah Berani (PGB) gallantry medal, recalled how the late police special branch supremo Yuen Yuet Leng ordered them to eliminate two of the most notorious enemy operatives at the time: the Paraku Unit 330 leader Fam Tze Heung and his wife Hooi Yin.
“This eventually led to the surrender of the Paraku combat commander Bong Kee Chok and about 700 of his men,” said Salehuddin, who was awarded the PGB for leading the operation to Engkilili in Sri Aman, Sarawak, on July 16, 1972.
Other RAC men who received the PGB for their role in similar operations included Capt Maurice Lam, Second-Lieutenant NH Siebel, Lt Lee Ah Pow, Sergeants Chong Yon Chin and Choo Who Soon, as well as Corporal Osman Sharif.
Among the RAC’s “famous sons” are former army chief Gen (Rtd) Zain Hashim and three of the famed “Templer’s Super 12”: Major-General (Rtd) Lai Chung Wah, Brig-Gen (Rtd) Victor Stevenson and Brig-Gen (Rtd) Asna Sutan.
“Templer’s Super 12” referred to the first 12 officers handpicked by the then Malayan high commissioner General Sir Gerald Templer.
The RAC was first established on Sept 1, 1952, as the Federation Armoured Car Regiment. It then became the Federation Armoured Corps in 1960; Malaysian Reconnaissance Corps in 1963; Royal Reconnaissance Corps in 1972; Royal Cavalry Corps in 1979; and finally the RAC on Dec 8, 1986.
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