Dignitaries pay last respects to late mum of security advisor to Premier
Members of the Sarawak Cabinet were among those coming to pay last respects to the late Udat Baling, who passed away at the age of 104 on April 11.
She was the mother of LtGeneral (Rtd) Datuk Stephen Mundaw, the first Dayak to become a commander in the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM).
The wake took place at the family’s residence in Sungai Melaban, Pakit in Sri Aman.
Deputy Premier of Sarawak Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and Deputy Minister in Sarawak Premier’s Department (Native Laws and Customs) Datuk Jefferson Jamit Unyat were among those attending.
The Kapit branch chairman of the ATM Veterans Association (PVATM) Councillor Martin Bilun was also present.
Stephen was enlisted to the Sebatang Karah Camp in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan in 1978, where he underwent three months of ‘Officer Cadet’ training, before being selected to attend the Officer Cadet School in Portsea, Australia.
He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1979, and was posted to the Sixth Battalion of the Royal Ranger Regiment as a Platoon Commander based at Oya Camp in Sibu.
After serving for over 30 years, Stephen was promoted to Brigadier General in 2010 and took command of the Ninth Infantry Brigade in Sibu.
He is the first Dayak to reach such rank in the ATM’s history.
Stephen was later promoted to Major General in 2014, and appointed as the Commander of the First Infantry Division, based in Sarawak.
He later became Lieutenant-General and in 2018, appointed as the Commander for the Eastern Field Command.
He retired on May 31, 2019, after having been in the Armed Forces for over 40 years.
Stephen is now security advisor in the Sarawak Premier’s Department, overseeing border security and illegal logging.