Police heroes F-inally get their awards

Honouring the heroes: Attendees of the Police Retirees Assembly held at PWTC in Kuala Lumpur.

KUALA LUMPUR: They were the heroes who fought in the shadows and they did not do it for recognition but for the peace and harmony of their country.

Their own family members did not know about the dangerous jobs they did until their work was declassified two years ago.

They were the F-Team, a rag-tag team of policemen from the Special Branch who specialised in weeding out the Communist Party of Malaya and dismantling their network known as the communist underground.

Decades later, five members of the E3F squad received the Pingat Jasa Kepahlawanan Negara award from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

For retired Deputy Supt (Rtd) Kamaruddin Hashim, 68, receiving the award was very fulfilling.

“When we were fighting the CPM, we did not think about recognition. Being in the Special Branch, we knew most of what we were doing was done with the utmost secrecy.”

Chief Insp (Rtd) Abdul Kalam Suhaimi, 60, echoed DSP Kamaruddin’s excitement.

“I am very happy to receive this award. It means a lot to us now that our hard work and sacrifices are appreciated,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sub Insp S. Sredaran, 59, who is about to retire in 45 days, said the award was the icing on the cake for his career.

Two other members of the F-Team squad who received the award were Asst Comm (rtd) Zahaliman Jamin, 62, and Supt (Rtd) Mahmud Hambali, 69.

The man behind the setting up of the team – Senior Asst Comm Datuk Leong Chee Woh – received the Bintang Keberanian Panglima Gagah Berani from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong last year

SAC Leong said the F-Team was active from 1971 to 1995. It also oversaw the official surrender of the Communist Party of Malaya.