Ex-army officer writes book on Iban Trackers

MIRI: They are the unsung heroes during the communist insurgency and regarded at the time as among ‘the best in the world’ on par with the elite Gurkha army.

Their unheralded journeys as the country’s heroes fighting alongside the British army against the communists in the thick jungles of the peninsula have finally been documented in the soon to be released book titled, ‘ Iban Trackers and Sarawak Rangers 1948-1963’.

The book’s author, Sarawak-born Lt Col (Rtd) Robert Rizal Abdullah, who now resides in Taiping, Perak, said the book is expected to be officially launched in July 2018 in Kuching, Sarawak.

“The idea of writing the book started in 2008 but due to lack of reference materials and books at that time, I had to temporarily postpone it,” he told Bernama, adding that the book was his second. His first book, launched in 2008, was an autobiography titled, ‘My Adventure’.

Rizal who served in the army for 25 years said he managed to gather enough material for the book in the past two years from various sources such as the internet, archives in Sarawak and his friends abroad.

The father of two who also has his own blog at pgbwarrior.blogspot. com said the bravery and courage shown by the Iban trackers had even impressed Malaya director of operations during the Communist insurgency and former High Commissioner General Sir Gerald Templer who described them as ‘the best in the world’ in what they do.

“They are specialists in tracking communists in the jungle because of their experience in hunting animals in Sarawak’s jungle,” he said.

Rizal who received the Panglima Gagah Berani ( PGB), the nation’s second highest military gallantry award, after an attack on the communists in 1973 in Sarawak said the bravery and expertise of Iban trackers were on par with the famous Gurkha army.

According to him, had not the Sarawak Rangers been disbanded, the Iban trackers would have likely been sent all over the world with the British army.

“I hope the young generation will be able to appreciate the sacrifice of Iban trackers in fighting for the country,” he added. — Bernama