KANGAR: On Oct 25, 1978, Major (Rtd) Ishak Mohd Isa, a former Royal Ranger Regiment officer, led his platoon into the dense forests of Gubir, during the Second Malayan Emergency.
Their mission was straightforward: conduct a search-and-destroy operation against communist insurgents in the treacherous Malaysia-Thailand wilderness, which was fraught with snares, booby traps, and landmines.
As night fell, enveloping the forest in darkness, Ishak and his platoon remained vigilant.
The stillness was shattered when enemy combatants, dressed in green and armed with AR15 rifles, walked into their ambush at 6.15pm.
A Claymore anti-personnel mine set up by the Rangers then detonated, scattering 700 ball bearings through the air. A 15-minute firefight that illuminated the darkness, then ensued.
"I acted immediately, firing at the enemy in front of me. The battle was brief but intense, lasting around 10 to 15 minutes before the forest fell silent again," Ishak recalled, describing one of his most unforgettable experiences.
The following morning, as the team combed the area, they found the body of a communist insurgent just five metres from where Ishak was during the ambush.
"Shots were so close that they nearly grazed my head. The vegetation where I had taken cover was riddled with bullet holes. To this day, no one knows who took down that insurgent. We also found two significant blood trails – one leading towards Thailand, and the other, down a valley towards Sungai Seraya. Based on this, I believe more than two insurgents were injured that night," said the 69-year-old father of five, who now lives in Kampung Mata Ayer, after 23 years of service.
Years later, Ishak still experiences vivid flashbacks from that night.
"Sometimes, I remember parachuting into our area of operations and engaging the enemy. Those memories don't trouble me; they remind me of my youth and my time on the frontlines," said Ishak, who now lives with his wife, Latifah Saad, 65.
He added that Latifah often teases him about these flashbacks, asking, "Who did you shoot this time?"
"I was fortunate not to have sustained serious injuries in the line of duty, and my platoon too, came out relatively unscathed. However, during a helicopter training mission, there was a mishap, and one of my officers lost a leg during a tactical exercise at Terendak Camp in Melaka," said Ishak, who was commissioned as a Royal Ranger Regiment officer on Oct 30, 1974.
As Aug 31 approaches, Ishak reflects on the sacrifices of those who defended the nation's independence.
"In my time, we were united, brothers in arms, regardless of race – Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban – it didn't matter. We faced the same challenges, shared our meals, and stood together through it all. For us, it was simple: If we don't protect and defend our country, who will?" he said, his voice cracking, and eyes welling up.
He urged today's youth not to take the country's independence for granted, reminding them that the path to independence was paved with hardship, and forged in blood and steel.
"When a comrade is hurt on the frontlines, it was a mixture of emotions... it's hard to describe. I would often wonder why did it happen to them, and not to me. Reading these old war accounts fills me with sadness, but when I reflect on our sacrifices, knowing that we defended our freedom and independence, I feel a sense of accomplishment," he added.