KUALA LUMPUR: Famed former Special Branch senior officer Tan Sri Yuen Yuet Leng died early today. He was 88.
Yuen, who was former Perak police chief, retired from the force in 1984 as Sarawak police commissioner, after 34 years of service.
But it was his time spent fighting the communists as a special branch officer, and his role in helping bring about the Haadyai Peace Accord in 1989 for which he will be remembered.
It was Yuen and former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Rahim Noor (who was deputy IGP at the time) who were instrumental in getting the Communist Party of Malaya laying down their arms.
Yuen led many secret and delicate operations against the CPM, spending more of his 20s and 30s taking part in covert operations and gathering intelligence.
As a special branch officer, he risked his life many times in such covert operations to gather intelligence to be passed on to the overt but special forces like VAT 69, so they could mount missions against the communists.
He was wounded in two firefights with communist insurgents. The first time, he received multiple wounds, including a bullet which lodged near his heart and was never removed.
Yuen, who turned 88 two weeks ago, had authored a book, Nation Before Self And Values That Do Not Die.
The wake for Yuen will be held at Xiao En Centre in Cheras.