The Borneo Post Online
By Puvaneswary Devindran
National hero holds an award higher than ‘Tun’; veterans lament why he is not given appropriate title
KUCHING: If Kanang Langkau, Sarawak’s finest war veteran who was conferred the nation’s highest gallantry award, Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP), were to stand right in front of you, how would you address him?
Seri Pahlawan KANANG: Sarawak’s finest war veteran.
Do you just call him by his name even though the SP award is ranked higher than ‘Tun’ (Seri Maharaja Mangku Negara), and also higher than ‘Darjah Kerabat Diraja Malaysia’ and ‘Darjah Utama Seri Mahkota Negara’ which are normally bestowed upon royalties?
Sad to say, there is no title to appear before the name of this 63-year old soldier.
The chairman of Army Veteran Organisation Kuching Division, Captain (Rtd) Johari Ibrahim, described this as ‘pitiful’ given that the former Iban tracker, Warrant Officer I Kanang, was the sole surviving recipient of the award in Sarawak.
Two others awarded posthumously were SP Warrant Officer Lenggu China and SP Rosli Buang. The whole country has only about a dozen recipients of the SP.
“We talk about these gallantry awards and here among us, we have one who has the SP and we still call him Kanang,” he told a press conference at the Army Veterans Affairs Department office here yesterday.
The SP was conferred on a person who exhibited great valour and ‘extreme courage’ during war time, in this case, the confrontation, in ensuring peace and security of the country, Johari said.
Kanang, born on March 2, 1945 at Karangan Manok, Nanga Meluan, Saribas, in Sri Aman Division, is the fifth child of six siblings. He joined the Sarawak Rangers as a tracker on April 1962, and was also attached to the 42nd Royal Marine Commando before joining the First Battalion Malaysian Rangers.
He started to make a name for himself when he joined the Eighth Battalion Malaysian Rangers in 1973. On Gawai Day in 1976, his party killed three insurgents and seized a number of the enemy’s equipments.
Kanang, then a sergeant attached to the intelligence unit of the Eighth Battalion, joined Operations Gerak Setia 8/79 at Korbu in Perak to fight the communist insurgents. For his bravery, he was awarded the Panglima Gagah Berani on June 4, 1980.
During Operations Pukat at Tanah Hitam in Perak on Feb 20, 1980 insurgents ambushed a party of 25 soldiers including Kanang at Ladang Kending in Sungai Siput. Kanang was shot three times - on the chest and stomach - but still put up a fight and became a source of encouragement for the others to continue fighting.
For this, he was awarded the SP on June 3, 1981.
Johari meanwhile called on the government to come up with a standard procedure on how to address those who had been bestowed the (SP) title.
“One would think that for a person who has been awarded the SP he would be seated next to the highest ranking official including the Agong at functions where he is present but I have yet to see Kanang given this kind of honour at any function,” he lamented.
He said this was quite ironic for these heroes had put their lives on the line, putting aside their personal interest to provide Malaysians with the life they are living now.
Another shocking revelation is that each of the SP recipients only gets RM400 a month, which many feel is a paltry amount, to reward those who had gone into battle with a never-say-die attitude.
Johari believes that more respect and support should be given to these heroes especially now that ‘Hari Pahlawan’ is just three days away - July 31.
He said on that day there would be a special ceremony to be held at the cenotaph in Museum Garden to remember the fallen heroes. Among activities planned for the occasion are the laying of wreaths, reading of pledges by veterans and a meeting with widows of these heroes.
“Maybe, we should start addressing Kanang as ‘Seri Pahlawan’. We have to start somewhere,” Johari said.
By Puvaneswary Devindran
National hero holds an award higher than ‘Tun’; veterans lament why he is not given appropriate title
KUCHING: If Kanang Langkau, Sarawak’s finest war veteran who was conferred the nation’s highest gallantry award, Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP), were to stand right in front of you, how would you address him?
Seri Pahlawan KANANG: Sarawak’s finest war veteran.
Do you just call him by his name even though the SP award is ranked higher than ‘Tun’ (Seri Maharaja Mangku Negara), and also higher than ‘Darjah Kerabat Diraja Malaysia’ and ‘Darjah Utama Seri Mahkota Negara’ which are normally bestowed upon royalties?
Sad to say, there is no title to appear before the name of this 63-year old soldier.
The chairman of Army Veteran Organisation Kuching Division, Captain (Rtd) Johari Ibrahim, described this as ‘pitiful’ given that the former Iban tracker, Warrant Officer I Kanang, was the sole surviving recipient of the award in Sarawak.
Two others awarded posthumously were SP Warrant Officer Lenggu China and SP Rosli Buang. The whole country has only about a dozen recipients of the SP.
“We talk about these gallantry awards and here among us, we have one who has the SP and we still call him Kanang,” he told a press conference at the Army Veterans Affairs Department office here yesterday.
The SP was conferred on a person who exhibited great valour and ‘extreme courage’ during war time, in this case, the confrontation, in ensuring peace and security of the country, Johari said.
Kanang, born on March 2, 1945 at Karangan Manok, Nanga Meluan, Saribas, in Sri Aman Division, is the fifth child of six siblings. He joined the Sarawak Rangers as a tracker on April 1962, and was also attached to the 42nd Royal Marine Commando before joining the First Battalion Malaysian Rangers.
He started to make a name for himself when he joined the Eighth Battalion Malaysian Rangers in 1973. On Gawai Day in 1976, his party killed three insurgents and seized a number of the enemy’s equipments.
Kanang, then a sergeant attached to the intelligence unit of the Eighth Battalion, joined Operations Gerak Setia 8/79 at Korbu in Perak to fight the communist insurgents. For his bravery, he was awarded the Panglima Gagah Berani on June 4, 1980.
During Operations Pukat at Tanah Hitam in Perak on Feb 20, 1980 insurgents ambushed a party of 25 soldiers including Kanang at Ladang Kending in Sungai Siput. Kanang was shot three times - on the chest and stomach - but still put up a fight and became a source of encouragement for the others to continue fighting.
For this, he was awarded the SP on June 3, 1981.
Johari meanwhile called on the government to come up with a standard procedure on how to address those who had been bestowed the (SP) title.
“One would think that for a person who has been awarded the SP he would be seated next to the highest ranking official including the Agong at functions where he is present but I have yet to see Kanang given this kind of honour at any function,” he lamented.
He said this was quite ironic for these heroes had put their lives on the line, putting aside their personal interest to provide Malaysians with the life they are living now.
Another shocking revelation is that each of the SP recipients only gets RM400 a month, which many feel is a paltry amount, to reward those who had gone into battle with a never-say-die attitude.
Johari believes that more respect and support should be given to these heroes especially now that ‘Hari Pahlawan’ is just three days away - July 31.
He said on that day there would be a special ceremony to be held at the cenotaph in Museum Garden to remember the fallen heroes. Among activities planned for the occasion are the laying of wreaths, reading of pledges by veterans and a meeting with widows of these heroes.
“Maybe, we should start addressing Kanang as ‘Seri Pahlawan’. We have to start somewhere,” Johari said.
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