THOUSANDS of Malaysians have served in one way or another to safeguard the country’s security, especially during the communist insurgency.
Over 500 soldiers and 1,300 police personnel were killed during the first Malayan Emergency (1948-1960) and a further 155 security forces personnel died during the second insurgency from 1968 to 1989.
Alongside the military, others were recruited into the Home Guard, Border Scouts, Jungle Squad (now known as the General Operations Force) and the Royal Malaysian Police Volunteer Reserve.
Feats of courage
According to the Malaysia Ex-Police Association, many of them remained forgotten heroes who never got recognition for their sacrifices.
They include Captain Mukhtiar Singh, who was initially drafted as a special constable when he was just 16, following the outbreak of the Emergency.
Mukhtiar was made temporary inspector in 1954. During the first Emergency, his platoon was responsible for the deaths and capture of 18 communist terrorists and amazingly, Mukhtiar was never injured.
In a previous interview with The Star, Mukhtiar recalled his many close brushes with death, including being shot at by a terrorist who hit his turban, which fell off.
He also recalled coming face to face with two insurgents.
He managed to kill one of them and wound the other, with the surviving insurgent later surrendering and providing vital intelligence information that led to the capture of four other insurgents.
Mukhtiar is most famous for his role in helping to make Selangor “white”, or free of communists, as he and his group successfully captured the last four communist terrorists hiding in Selangor in 1959.
For his role in ridding Selangor of communists, he was recognised during a special parade held to mark the end of the communist threat in the state.
After serving with the police for 12 years, he joined the military police corps where he served for 17 years.
Despite this, Mukhtiar was denied a pension and recognition for his service. He passed away on April 23 this year.
Advocating for veterans
Malaysia Ex-Police Association supreme council member Datuk Basant Singh Sidhu said there were many others like Mukhtiar who deserved recognition and the Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara (PJPN) for their service and loyalty to the nation.
The PJPN was created in 2014 as a means to recognise and appreciate the sacrifices, bravery and contribution of police officers who served the country during the Emergency period.
Basant said the association was advocating for all police veterans who served during the Emergency, to be recognised.
He said they were currently helping veterans or their families with the process of obtaining their PJPN, with 30 applications submitted to the Kuala Lumpur Police headquarters so far.
“Some veterans don’t realise that they are eligible, while others may not know how to apply for the medal,” he said.
Malaysia Ex-Police Association president Datuk Mokhtar Omar, who served in the police force for over 20 years, said the PJPN should be given to all the forgotten heroes.
“The award honours their sacrifice as they put their lives on the line.
“It is not an easy thing to do,” he said.
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