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SARAWAK conferred the Pingat Perwira Negeri (PPN) on three former police officers this year, which was driven by a long-standing commitment to recognise those who fought directly against communist insurgents in the 1970s.
Head of State, Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, said the state award was created to honour security personnel who had risked their lives in jungle operations and armed engagements, but were not formally recognised at the federal level due to administrative limitations within the police system at the time.
He said three recipients were awarded the PPN – Silver during the investiture ceremony on January 20, marking what he described as a meaningful step in acknowledging the sacrifices of Sarawak’s defenders.
“The award is given based on direct involvement, and these individuals were involved in fighting the communists in the 1970s,” he told Sarawak Tribune in an exclusive interview.
Wan Junaidi explained that although the recipients had served in active combat, they did not receive recognition from the federal government, prompting Sarawak to establish its own form of appreciation, particularly for veterans from the armed forces and police.
He said the issue had been close to his heart since the 1980s, when he served as chairman of the former police association and repeatedly raised the need to honour those who had served in dangerous operations.
“This has been my struggle for a long time. Since 1987, I have raised it, but it was never properly addressed. Each time it came up, it was then forgotten,” he said.
In 2014, when he became the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Wan Junaidi initiated the creation of a national medal, later approved by the federal government, to recognise police personnel who served during the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960 and 1969-1989) and the Sarawak Emergency (1952-1990).
The award, known as Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara (PJPN), was introduced as a special form of recognition, similar to Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) awarded to members of the armed forces who served during the same period.
However, it did not specifically acknowledge individual acts of valour by police personnel in jungle operations during the Emergencies – a recognition Wan Junaidi had long aspired to see fulfilled.
Wan Junaidi said that when he became the Head of State in 2023, he felt a responsibility to turn that hope into reality.
“Those who fought, who risked their limbs and lives against the communists, should be given recognition. Even if it does not come with a specific allowance, it is still a symbol of appreciation from the state,” he said.
Remembering Awang Sepian’s leadership in Durin
The first recipient highlighted by Wan Junaidi was Inspector Awang Sepian Awang Juini, who served as a platoon commander during the Emergency years and later rose to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police.
He said Awang Sepian was involved in multiple engagements across Sarawak, including operations in Sibu, Kapit, Bintangor and Sarikei, under the 15th Battalion Police Field Force based in Sibu.
Wan Junaidi recalled one particular incident in 1970 during a company-level operation involving four platoons under the command of the late Datuk Amar Johnny Mustapha, when his own platoon triggered an initial engagement after walking into a communist trap.
“My platoon made the first engagement. We entered a communist trap, but we survived. We had also unknowingly entered a minefield, but most of the mines did not detonate and those that did caused no serious injuries,” he said.
It was then that Awang Sepian, positioned more than a kilometre away, reacted immediately upon hearing gunfire and set up an ambush route for insurgents fleeing the area.
“When Awang Sepian heard the shooting, he quickly organised an ambush. The communists who fled from our area later ran straight into it and five were shot dead,” he said, adding that the incident occurred in Durin, Sibu.
Despite the engagement’s significance, Wan Junaidi said it was never formally recognised due to delays in reporting during jungle operations.
“Sometimes reports only reached battalion headquarters two or three weeks later and only brief reports were submitted. That is why the incident was never properly recorded,” he said.
Anyang Inang’s discipline under fire
Wan Junaidi also spoke about Corporal Nelson Anyang Inang, who served as his section commander during an ambush in Tulai and Bintangor, where a policeman was killed and another was seriously injured.
He said Anyang demonstrated courage and composure during the firefight and later carried out follow-up operations that led to the arrest of several insurgents and the killing of one.
“Anyang showed courage, but he also showed discipline and composure under fire,” he said.
Wan Junaidi recalled giving Anyang strict instructions not to pursue beyond a set distance, citing the risk of accidental crossfire as another security unit was operating nearby.
“I told him, ‘You may follow up, but not more than one kilometre. You must return before six o’clock’. We did not want to shoot our own men, especially at night,” he recalled.
He said the operation in Tulai lasted two days, resulting in one death, one injury and the arrest of a suspected communist figure believed to have played a key role in operations in the Lower Rejang.
Agam and the elite jungle unit
The third recipient, Agam Galau, was described by Wan Junaidi as among the most skilled jungle operatives in the battalion, serving in a special 15-man reconnaissance unit.
He said the unit operated with minimal equipment, carrying only food and sleeping without tents, using ponchos as shelter.
“They went into the jungle without hammocks or tents. Only food. They were like commandos,” he said.
Wan Junaidi said Agam was regarded as a “jungle man”, trained to the level of elite trackers, and often served as the right-hand man of Johnny Mustapha.
He recalled Agam’s role in Muara Tebas during ‘Operation Hantam’, where a small section of 14 men faced more than 80 insurgents in a firefight that resulted in six communist casualties before reinforcements arrived.
“We were 14 men, and they were more than 80. We killed six before reinforcements came in about ten minutes,” he said.
Wan Junaidi also credited Agam’s alertness for preventing a potentially deadly friendly-fire incident involving an approaching army company at dusk.
“If we had fired, I would not be here today. It was Agam’s competence and alertness that stopped it. He realised the group was not communists, but the army,” he said.
A symbol of remembrance and gratitude
Wan Junaidi said Sarawak’s PPN award represents a state-level effort to honour bravery that may have been overlooked at the time and serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who defended the state during a turbulent period.
He expressed hope that the recognition would carry lasting meaning, not only for the recipients but also for the wider community.
“This is a symbol of appreciation from Sarawak, especially for those who fought during that time,” he said.
Press Release, 01 February 2026
KUCHING: Suasana meriah dan penuh kehangatan mewarnai Sambutan Hari Lahir Peribadi Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar yang diraikan menerusi majlis makan malam istimewa di atas Royal Cruise, Waterfront Kuching, pada Ahad. Majlis makan malam istimewa itu diserikan dengan kehadiran Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi, Premier Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg, Timbalan-Timbalan Premier Sarawak, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas dan Datuk Amar Profesor Dr Sim Kui Hian, Speaker Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar serta tetamu kenamaan lain. Sebaik Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi bersama Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah tiba kira-kira jam 8.30 malam, Royal Cruise mula menyusuri Sungai Sarawak sekali gus memberi peluang kepada para tetamu menikmati panorama indah bandar raya Kuching pada waktu malam. Majlis dimulakan dengan bacaan doa sebelum para tetamu menikmati jamuan makan malam dalam suasana santai namun penuh beradat. Acara kemuncak diserikan dengan upacara memotong kek sempena hari lahir Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi. Turut dipersembahkan ialah tayangan video khas yang mengimbau perjalanan kehidupan serta sumbangan Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak kepada negeri dan rakyat sepanjang perkhidmatan baginda. Selain itu, persembahan sajak istimewa oleh Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi turut menyentuh perasaan dan mencuit emosi para tetamu yang hadirnsekali gus menambah kehangatan suasana majlis. Majlis diakhiri dengan sesi bergambar sebelum Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak bersama isteri berangkat meninggalkan majlis.- EDISI UKAS
Press Release, 11 February 2026
PERAK: Hari pertama lawatan rasmi Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar bersama isteri, Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi ke Markas Pangkalan Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) Lumut, di sini, pada Isnin, diserikan dengan Majlis Ramah Mesra bersama Anak-Anak Sarawak TLDM yang berlangsung di Dewan M. Sidek Shabudin. Majlis berkenaan menjadi wadah interaksi antara TYT Sarawak dan isteri bersama warga TLDM asal Sarawak, yang sedang berkhidmat serta menetap di pangkalan tersebut, dalam suasana penuh mesra dan harmoni. Dalam majlis sama, Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi dan Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah berkenan menyampaikan hadiah kepada 10 pelajar cemerlang, selain sumbangan kepada 10 orang pesakit kronik dalam kalangan mereka. Turut serta ialah Menteri Pelancongan, Industri Kreatif dan Seni Persembahan Sarawak selaku Menteri Pengiring, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah bersama isteri Datin Sri Zuraini Abdul Jaabar, Panglima Tentera Laut Laksamana Tan Sri (Dr.) Zulhelmy Ithnain bersama isteri Puan Sri Zamzelina Ahmad, Timbalan Panglima Tentera Laut Laksamana Madya Datuk Badarudin Taha bersama isteri Datin Noriah Sahlan dan Panglima Armada Barat Laksamana Madya Dato’ Baharudin Wan Md Nor bersama isteri Datin Shafiqah Ismail. Suasana majlis dimeriahkan lagi dengan persembahan kebudayaan dan nyanyian oleh anggota TLDM, di samping jamuan makan tengah hari yang disediakan kepada para hadirin. Sejurus selepas itu, TYT Sarawak serta isteri meneruskan lawatan ke Bangunan 102, Lumut Naval Shipyard (LUNAS). Dalam lawatan tersebut, Pegawai Eksekutif LUNAS, Azhar Jumaat, telah berkongsi maklumat berkaitan proses pembinaan serta perkembangan semasa Kapal Tempur Pesisir (LCS), termasuk kemajuan projek Kapal Tempur Pesisir 3 (LCS 3) TLDM. TYT Sarawak dan isteri kemudiannya berkenan mengunjungi galeri pameran bagi meninjau replika bersaiz besar Kapal Tempur Pesisir yang dihasilkan menggunakan permainan Lego, sebelum mengakhiri atur cara lawatan rasmi hari pertama. Keesokan hari, Upacara Penamaan dan Pelancaran Kapal Tempur Pesisir 3 (LCS 3) TLDM dijadualkan berlangsung di Limbungan LUNAS yang akan disempurnakan oleh Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi selaku 'Lady Sponsor', disaksikan oleh Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi. Terdahulu, lawatan rasmi tersebut dimulakan dengan upacara Kawalan Kehormatan Utama di Markas Armada Barat sebagai tanda penghormatan tertinggi kepada TYT Sarawak, sebelum berangkat ke Istana Hinggap Sultan Selangor (Jugra) bagi menyempurnakan acara menandatangani buku lawatan rasmi serta mendengar sesi taklimat operasi TLDM, disusuli tinjauan ke beberapa fasiliti utama di sekitar Pangkalan TLDM Lumut, termasuk kawasan operasi di Jeti Operasi Advanced Mission Support Ship (AMSS) dan Kapal KD Indera Sakti. -EDISI UKAS
Press Release, 11 February 2026
KUALA LUMPUR: Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar tiba di Lapangan Terbang Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah, Subang hari ini bagi menghadiri Mesyuarat Majlis Raja-Raja ke-271 di Istana Negara. Tun Pehin tiba bersama isterinya Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi kira-kira jam 3.10 petang selepas berlepas dari Lapangan Terbang Sultan Azlan Shah, Ipoh. Ketibaan Tun Pehin Sri dan Toh Puan, diiringi Menteri Pelancongan, Industri Kreatif dan Persembahan Seni Sarawak, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, bersama isteri, Datin Sri Zuraini Abdul Jabbar. Rombongan Tun Pehin telah disambut mesra oleh pegawai-pegawai kanan Pejabat Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak serta Pejabat Perhubungan Rumah Sarawak, Kuala Lumpur. Tun Pehin Sri dijadualkan menghadiri Mesyuarat Majlis Raja-Raja ke-271 di Istana Negara pada 11 hingga 12 Februari ini.
Press Release, 10 January 2026
KUCHING, 10 Januari – Kehadiran isteri Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak, Toh Puan Fauziah Mohd. Sanusi, memeriahkan Majlis Perasmian Penutupan Pesta Bubur Pedas Sarawak 2026 di Metrocity Matang, Kuching hari ini. Program anjuran Koperasi Perkumpulan Wanita Sarawak Berhad (KOPERWANIS) dan Persekutuan Perkumpulan Wanita Sarawak (PPWS) dengan kerjasama Institut Pendidikan Berterusan dan Pengajian Profesional (iCEPS) Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Sarawak, bertujuan memartabatkan bubur pedas sebagai warisan kulinari ikonik negeri Sarawak. Toh Puan Fauziah turut meluangkan masa menyediakan bubur pedas dan beramah mesra bersama ahli KOPERWANIS serta peserta, mencerminkan keprihatinan beliau terhadap usaha memperkasa wanita dan ekonomi komuniti setempat. Penganjuran pesta itu bukan sahaja memelihara warisan makanan tradisional, malah menjadi platform memperkukuh jaringan usahawan wanita serta memperkasa peranan mereka dalam pembangunan sosioekonomi negeri. Para pelajar juga berpeluang memperoleh pengalaman dalam pengurusan komuniti, kerja lapangan, dan tanggungjawab sosial menerusi penglibatan dalam program berkenaan. Turut diadakan penyampaian hadiah kepada pemenang pertandingan bumbu bubur pedas, pertandingan masakan tradisional, serta pertandingan mewarna untuk warga emas dan kanak-kanak. Hadir sama pada majlis tersebut ialah Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Kanak-Kanak dan Kesejahteraan Komuniti Sarawak, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah.
Press Release, 11 February 2026
PERAK: Yang di-Pertua Negeri, Tun Pehin Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar bersama isteri, Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Fauziah Mohd Sanusi, telah diberi penghormatan untuk melihat secara dekat aset pertahanan maritim negara sempena lawatan rasmi ke Pangkalan Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) Lumut, di sini, hari ini. Lawatan tersebut merangkumi tinjauan ke beberapa fasiliti utama di sekitar Pangkalan TLDM Lumut, termasuk kawasan operasi di Jeti Operasi Advanced Mission Support Ship (AMSS) dan Kapal KD Indera Sakti yang dijadual belayar ke India keesokan harinya bagi menyertai Major 2026 Indian Navy Events (MILAN/IFR) di Visakhapatnam, India. Dalam kesempatan itu, Tun Wan Junaidi dan Toh Puan Fauziah mendengar taklimat ringkas daripada Panglima Tentera Laut, Laksamana Tan Sri Dr Zulhelmy Ithnain, berkaitan keupayaan operasi serta peranan aset TLDM dalam mempertahankan keselamatan perairan negara. Turut serta ialah Menteri Pelancongan, Industri Kreatif dan Seni Persembahan selaku Menteri Pengiring, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah bersama isteri Datin Sri Zuraini Abdul Jaabar, Timbalan Panglima Tentera Laut, Laksamana Madya Datuk Badarudin Taha dan Panglima Armada Barat, Laksamana Madya Dato’ Baharudin Wan Md Nor. Sebagai simbolik lawatan, Tun Wan Junaidi dan Toh Puan Fauziah meluangkan masa merakamkan gambar kenangan bersama dif-dif kenamaan dan anak-anak kapal KD Indera Sakti, yang diketuai Kapten Ananthan Tharmalingam. Terdahulu, lawatan rasmi tersebut dimulakan dengan upacara Kawalan Kehormatan Utama di Markas Armada Barat sebagai tanda penghormatan tertinggi kepada Tun Wan Junaidi, sebelum pergi ke Istana Hinggap Sultan Selangor (Jugra) bagi menyempurnakan acara menandatangani buku lawatan rasmi serta mendengar sesi taklimat operasi TLDM.
