The beauty of celebrating diversity

Mohamed Arshad (second from left) shaking hands with a soldier involved in disarming Cambodian forces.

Unlike his peers who wanted to be doctors or even astronauts, Brig-Jen (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji had set his sights firmly on joining the military since he was a young boy.

“I grew up at a time where I was always surrounded by soldiers. Whenever I returned to Hulu Langat for the school holidays, I could see Australian and British soldiers patrolling our village as it was in the midst of the first Malayan Emergency,” recalled Mohamed Arshad, 79.

That was how his interest in the army began, said the Hulu Langat boy raised in Kuala Lumpur.

“During my schooling years, there was also an army camp located directly opposite my school, Maxwell School Kuala Lumpur, where I would always see the soldiers performing their drills and training. This further spiked my interest,” he said.

In 1965, Mohamed Arshad took the first step when he joined the Royal Military College (RMC) under the Cadet Wing, which kicked off his 33-year career in the army.

He shared how he had been part of various notable events in Malaysian history, including the Malaysia-Indonesia confrontation (1963-1966) and the second Malayan Emergency (1968-1989).

“My first deployment was in Johor in 1965. It was then the tail end of the confrontation period.

“It was certainly challenging as it was my first operation with my subsequent deployment in 1967 to Ba Kelalan, Sarawak, which was close to the border of Indonesia,” he said, adding that he was fortunate not to personally experience any conflict at that time.

The veteran’s fondest experience in the army, however, was when he was tasked to command a peacekeeping mission in war-torn Cambodia in March 1992.

This came following the Paris Peace Agreements signed on Oct 23, 1991, which brought an end to nearly two decades of slaughter that began with the Khmer Rouge’s ascent to power in 1975.

The genocidal regime wiped out up to two million Cambodians through murder, starvation and hard labour, before a Vietnamese invasion toppled the communist Khmer Rouge but triggered a civil war.

“We were stationed in Battambang for 15 months to maintain the peace and when we first arrived, I recall it being isolated with people gradually coming out of hiding,” he said.

“Throughout our 15 months there, we watched the town grow.”

He also noted how Battambang recorded the highest voter turnout during the United Nations-sponsored election in Cambodia to elect a new government, which was a testament to the excellent efforts throughout their service there.

Mohamed Arshad also spoke of his time in the army, in which he served alongside many people from various races.

“We all shared a special bond with each other regardless of our backgrounds. We were willing to die for each other as we were all comrades till the end,” he said.

The military veteran maintained that there was no place for issues on race, creed or colour in Malaysia.

“Whenever I meet new recruits, I make it clear that this is no place to speak about race. My emphasis is on being Malaysian first.

“Without unity, there is no Malaysia and this is something we all should realise in order to bring our beloved nation to greater heights,” he said.

For retired police officer Datuk Tan Kok Liang, what began as a desire for a stable vocation turned into an enduring devotion to serve the country through the police force.He served with pride for 31 years.The Teluk Intan native said he initially became a police officer as he felt the force could provide him with a stable career path, besides it being an avenue to contribute directly to the country.

“Over time, I grew more in love with my job. If it wasn’t for mandatory retirement, I would still be serving,” said the 68-year-old, who retired in 2014.

Throughout his time with the force, he was posted across Malaysia where he was called to duty on various historical events.

Among them was being the officer in charge at the courts from 1997 to 2003, where he handled security and operations.

As such, he oversaw several high-profile court cases.

“This was at a time when the Federal Court and the Kuala Lumpur Court were located along Jalan Raja.

“In 1997, there was the Lim Guan Eng trial and in 1998, there was the trial of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim alongside the rise of the ‘reformasi’ movement which saw many coming to protest outside the courts,” he noted.

“These situations required us to ensure no untoward incidents throughout the day and night.”

Another notable experience Tan recalled from his posting at the courts was during the appeal case of Mona Fandey in 1998.

“My men did mention that it was rather eerie seeing her, but I advised them to pray more and assured them that there was no cause for concern,” he said.

In 2013, Tan became the Sabah deputy police commissioner and experienced first hand the brunt of the armed intruders.

“There was no time to panic or be afraid because if we did, who would get the job done?

“Hence, my counterparts and I did what was necessary by immediately planning operations and our next course of action,” he said.

Tan, who was also a member of the Crime Prevention Board under the Home Ministry from 2014 to 2019, said it was important for Malaysians to understand each other in order to create a better environment.

“Being Malaysian means knowing, accepting and celebrating each other’s differences.

“This will allow all Malaysians regardless of race or religion to move forward and contribute to each other’s welfare and ensure a harmonious life,” he added.

“And that’s what being Malaysian is about.”