PASIR PUTEH: "I save these photos of my comrades as a legacy for my children and future generations to appreciate our sacrifices during the 1969 Emergency," said retired Lance Corporal Mohamed Zawawi Mohd, 75.
As he flipped through his carefully preserved album of photographs, Mohamed Zawawi, affectionately known as 'Ayah Awi,' said each picture tells countless stories of joy and sorrow experienced with his friends during operations when the country faced the threat of the Malayan Communist Party (PKM).
"I have kept these photos since I joined the Jungle Squad (now known as the General Operations Force) on June 8, 1969, in Ulu Kinta, Perak, until I retired from the police force in 2004 at the Pasir Puteh District Police Headquarters.
"These photos are the only solace I have to help me reminisce about my comrades, most of whom have passed away, and they also remind me of the priceless peace we enjoy today," he elaborated.
Speaking passionately, Mohamed Zawawi shared that he joined the Jungle Squad because he could not bear to see the military and police forces fighting tirelessly to curb the communist insurgency during the Emergency period.
"Before joining the Jungle Squad, I was a fisherman in Kuala Besut, Terengganu. When the tragic event of May 13, 1969, occurred, I felt a strong urge to join the security forces to help crush the communist insurgency," he said.
"One of the most challenging operations I participated in was in 1971 in Sarawak. We had to navigate dense forests, never knowing from which direction the communist terrorists might attack, so we had to remain constantly vigilant," he said, expressing gratitude for having emerged unscathed from the operation.
The father of four explained that the communist terrorists employed various strategies and deceptive tactics to ensnare and kill their opponents, such as setting booby traps in the underbrush or ground.
"My heart ached whenever I witnessed or received news of friends with whom we ate, slept, and laughed together getting injured or killed by the cruel communists. They not only invaded our country but also murdered our warriors," he said choked with emotion.
As the 67th National Day approaches, he hopes the current generation will never compromise the nation's dignity to foreign powers. He urges them to always foster a sense of patriotism and to honour the sacrifices of past warriors who laid down their lives for the country. – BERNAMA