IPOH: Although 40 years have passed, DSP (R) Kamarudin Hashim(pix) will never forget his experience having to impersonate a communist member while working with the F-Team, a secret elite force under the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).
Kamarudin, 73, or better known as Kenny by his team members, said he disguised himself as a communist when he participated in the one-year operation dubbed Ops Kelah which was mounted in Kuala Lipis, Pahang in 1982.
“I pretended to be one (because we wanted to nab terrorists from the Malayan Communist Party during the operation) by dressing up like them but I just kept quiet because I could not speak Chinese.
“I just sat, raised my hand, and salute along with the other communist members. When my friends (F-Team members) were able to sneak in to attack the communist camp, I helped to arrest the enemies.”
He said this when met after a talk show programme, to highlight the struggles of former policemen in conjunction with the National Day celebration, organised by Mukim Hulu Kinta Penghulu Office and Pertubuhan Amal Sahabat Perak at Kampung Kuala Pari Community Hall here today.
Kamarudin, who served the police force for 23 years, said Ops Kelah which was participated by about 30 F-Team members, managed to capture 24 members, including the 16th Fighter Unit communist leader, and seized a large number of firearms and communication devices that were brought from Southern Thailand.
An internet search revealed that, in 1982, Ops Kelah was mounted against the 16th Fighter Unit of the Malayan Communist Party after they infiltrated from Southern Thailand through the Titiwangsa Range from Perak and Kelantan heading south up to Kuala Lipis, Pahang.-Bernama
