Lieutenant Colonel Robert Rizal @ Robert Madang, who was personally involved and in fact instrumental in getting the Federal and State Governments into motion in getting the remains of the fallen soldiers for a decent reburial at the War Hero Cemetery in Kuching, is something that would always be remembered in the annals of our humble hearts. It's a commitment for a very noble cause by Robert, who was a soldier himself. Robert, who hails from Simanggang (now know as Sri Aman) has made us proud.
The arrival of the remains of the fallen heroes was received not without tears: tears of mixed joy and sadness. It was a joy to see the remains brought back for a decent reburial close to home; but it was also a sadness that the much awaited meeting was no longer in persons but just with remains contained in labeled jars. While taking photographs of the event, I couldn't help but shedding my tears watching the relatives of the fallen soldiers in grief. The only but great consolation is that their deaths were not in vain. It was a death to let others live in peace and comfort. It is often said that there is no greater love than to die for others. If there is a line to describe their sacrifices, it is this: their sacrifices are beyond purchase.
I hope the Malayans or West Malaysians are they are called by now would have been amply reminded that their comfort today has been attributed to the sacrifice of the Sarawakians, and the Sarawak Rangers and Trackers in particular. It is not uncommon to hear the Malayans belittling and looking down on the Sarawakian, an attitude that I often observed during my 4-years stay in Kuala Lumpur in late 1980's . Had it not been for the the sacrifices of the Sarawak Rangers and Trackers during the communist insurgency from 1948-1960, probably Malaya would have been a communist state and the Malay royal house would have been just a history like their counterparts in Indonesia. The only Malay Regiment or Askar Melayu that existed at that time was in no way could match the more organized Revolutionary arm of the Malayan Communist Party that received its support from many communist countries. It was the combined forces of the Sarawak Rangers and Trackers and the British Army consisted of the Gurkhas, the Dayaks and other Europeans that had saved Malaya from becoming a communist rule. In fact at the surrender of the Japanese in 1945 the communist had successfully overran part of Malaya before the British Military Administration could take over. And once again in May 1969, the 1st Battalion of the Malaysian Rangers (formerly the Sarawak Rangers) was summoned to Malaya to end the bloody ethnic riot often known as the May 13th Riot. All Malayans, without exception, are owing the Sarawakians their lives and still continue to owe the Sarawakians their financial well being from oil and gas extracted from the territory of this bountiful land. I don't mind being repetitive for the sake of emphasis and clarity and like to remind the Malayans should cease once and for all having an attitude of arrogance in their social intercourse with people of Borneo especially the Sarawakians; and most of all Sarawak deserves to get what is due to her politically and economically. The Sarawakians owe the Malayan nothing but they us our lives and natural resources, revenue from taxes and ethnic balance thereby giving the Malayans a continuous political dominance.
It's not motivated by pride and or any other motives whatsoever that I have said the above but arising from the desire for a fair play, equality, the need for better economic well being and a harmonious relationship. Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban. With that note, I rest my case.
