MELAKA: Each time Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid tends skewers of chicken and lamb over a hot grill, memories of surviving in the jungle as a Royal Malaysian Air Force commando come flooding back.
Decades ago, he cooked wild animals over an open fire to survive the gruelling jungle training required of a commando.
Now 67, the former serviceman uses those hard-earned skills to serve his signature satay to diners in the historic city.
Abdul Rahman, who spent 23 years in the Air Force and was stationed in Labuan, teamed up with restaurant owner Mugaes Kumar to offer his satay at Pause Dining in Kota Laksamana here.
The flavour comes from a treasured recipe handed down by his late mother, using 12 ingredients and a special method of stewing the meat before grilling.
“My mother taught me how to use the 12 ingredients and stew the meat.
“I now use her recipe to prepare my chicken and lamb satay,” he said in an interview on Wednesday (Sept 16).
For Abdul Rahman, the dish brings together the lessons of his childhood, his mother’s cooking and the discipline instilled in him by the armed forces.
His first jungle survival course was held at the Sungai Udang military camp here, where trainees trekked through heavy rain, battled mosquitoes and learnt to live on whatever nature provided.
“The training taught us how to survive and prepare whatever food we could find to fill our stomachs,” he said.
The punishing conditions caused several trainees to fall ill, but Abdul Rahman was unfazed.
"The terrain was tough, but I was all right. As long as I was wearing my uniform, I was prepared to face any hardship,” he said.
Abdul Rahman believes his resilience was partly shaped by his childhood in Taiping, Perak.
Before becoming a commando, he was a kampung boy who spent his days swimming in rivers, climbing trees and picking fruits such as jambu and guava.
Those carefree experiences helped him feel at ease in surroundings that others found intimidating.
“The jungle feels like a second home to me. My training taught me how to adapt to the surroundings and survive with whatever nature provides,” he said.
After leaving the armed forces, he took his satay recipe to Penang and Kuala Lumpur before arriving in Melaka about a year ago.
According to Abdul Rahman, the discipline acquired during his military career has never left him, as producing good satay requires patience, careful timing and consistency.
“The military taught me to follow instructions, manage my time and carry out every responsibility properly.
“I apply the same discipline to my cooking because every ingredient and each step must be handled correctly,” he explained.
Abdul Rahman added that he hopes to share his survival knowledge with a younger generation that has grown up largely removed from the natural environment.
“Survival may not come instinctively to many young people now.
“I want to show them what is edible in the jungle and how we can obtain what we need from the wild,” he said.
