Lest We Forget

LEST WE FORGET

A few months ago, the Star Newspaper published a list of Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa(SP) holders accompanied with each individual’s citations. The government came up with a timely decision to increase the allowances for these heroes, which would help alleviate any financial woes faced by them. A number of suggestions and comments were forwarded to the media, but nothing conclusive came from these suggestions.

What is S/P and what it takes to win it. Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa is the highest award bestowed upon an individual in Malaysia for bravery. S/P can be compared to its equivalent counterpart from USA the Medal of Honor (MoH) and Victoria Cross (VC) of United Kingdom. Whereas the MoH and VC can only be awarded to the member of armed forces in the face of enemy action, S/P is not restricted to Armed Forces alone, its been awarded to policemen and private individuals for heroism. However 98% of the recipients are members of our Security Forces, who were bestowed this award in the face of enemy action or while discharging their duties.

The main criteria in awarding an individual the S/P is for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty “. Soldiers and policemen take an oath to defend this nation, even if it means sacrificing oneself in the process. Therefore merely dying for the nation would not automatically entitle the personnel for this award. Death is part of the job hazard that soldiers and policemen encounter, in the course of executing their duties. It should be “above and beyond the call of duty” in most cases the citation for this award, involves examples listed below:-

1) Charging against an enemy machine guns nest single handedly and neutralizing it, thereby saving fellow comrades from being decimated by its suppressing fire.
2) Hurling oneself onto a live grenade that falls close to the foxholes, thereby absorbing its impact and reducing the risk of injury to your men.
3) Attending to the wounded, while exposed to enemy gunfire, and shells falling around precariously close.
4) Involves policemen completely disregarding their safety, in order to protect the general public from harms way.

The above examples clearly show, it involves an act of bravery that is neither pre- meditated nor calculated, but an act that spurs at the heat of the moment. These heroes do not have bulging muscles or gung-ho type character like Rambo, Rambo would not last a minute in a firefight. These fearless groups of individuals are ordinary people from all walks of life, who rose up to the challenge, stood their grounds when the time came, and many did not return. The number of posthumous award for S/P is quite substantial, death while carrying out duties in service of the nation is the ultimate form of sacrifice and only a few had this honour and privilege. However there are still few S/P winners who are alive today, and one of them mentioned in the article published in Star, that most Malaysian don’t know what the SP behind his name stood for. The public knowledge on the S/P award is either minimal or non-existent. The lack of knowledge arose mainly due to the fact that there are no distinctions, apart from the medal and the allowance that are allotted to these distinguished men. In the United Kingdom for example, statutes of Victoria Cross together with a plaque which reads their citation are erected in each recipients hometown by its Town Council. In the USA, a building in Pueblo, Colorado was dedicated to Medal of Honour winners and aptly named Home of Heroes. Pueblo has the highest number of MoH winners than any town in USA, hence the building.

Our government should consider similar approach in ensuring the sacrifices of the S/P winners and their name does not fade into oblivion. It will also inspire youths to emulate them as role models and help start a proud tradition of honouring our heroes. A soldier from the closest military base should sound the bugle of retreat everyday at dawn at the site. Further a title such as “Seri Pahlawan” or Datuk Taming Sari named after the most feared weapon of yesteryear should be formally bestowed before the name of all S/P winners. These are some of the gratitude that we can show to our heroes, in return for all that they have given.

The followings words taken from the Ode of Remembrance befits our S/P winners,

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Lest we forget.

Regards,

Jeyaganesh Gopalsamy