KOTA BHARU: Staying in the jungle for weeks without a sufficient food supply, and resorting to eating wild animals, such as monkeys and snakes, were some of the struggles and sacrifices our national heroes had to make in safeguarding the country during the communist insurgency.
Sharing the unforgettable experience, former Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) commando, Corporal Mohd Rani Hussin, 63, said he was one of the 30-odd members of the regiment deployed for the Hentam Paksi Operation to hunt down the leader of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), Chin Peng, in the Pahang forest in 1982.
As Chin Peng and the communist insurgents were very cunning and that they understood the intricacies of the jungle better, Mohd Rani said it was difficult for him and the team to track the insurgents down.
“Days turned to weeks and we were out of food supply. To survive, we had to eat whatever that was available, including wild animals,” said the former commando who had undergone a three-month special operations forces course in 1978 at the Sungai Udang Camp in Melaka.
Mohd Rani was met at the Kelantan Non-Pensionable Malaysian Armed Forces Veterans Association’s Office at Wakaf Che Yeh here.
Elaborating, the father of five said that enduring life in the jungle and eating wild animals were not really a problem for him and other members of his team as they were well trained and had already acquired the survival skills to participate in such operations.
“We have been exposed to various skills and techniques to survive in the event of unforeseen circumstances including the skill to differentiate which animals, plants and fruits are safe to eat and which are poisonous. All these skills really came in handy during the operation, which lasted three weeks,” said Mohd Rani who retired from the forces in 1990.
For his deeds and sacrifices during his participation in almost 15 operations against the communist insurgents, Mohd Rani received the Pingat Jasa Malaysia in 2016 and also recently, the Pejuang Tanah Air award from the Kelantan government.
To the young generations, he said they must strive to strengthen unity regardless of race and religious background, as the onus is now on them to protect the sovereignty of this independent country.
“Our armed forces have fought hard, especially against the communist insurgents. Some of them lost their lives defending the country and its independence,” he added. – Bernama
