Vat 69 members recall communist horror
BETONG: Although 40 years have passed, memories of the Communist attacks vividly remain in the minds of former members of Vat 69 of the Royal Malaysian Police.
All the bitter memories of the fightings in the 1970s, especially at the Malaysia-Thailand border and around Betong district in southern Thailand, is firmly entrenched in their lives and tears welled in some of their eyes as they recalled the tragedies.
Recently, 23 former personnel of Vat 69, aged 68 and above, returned to visit and recall scenes of a series of historic attacks in Betong where members of the security forces sacrificed their lives and limbs to maintain peace in the country.
The visit was organised by the Vat 69 Veterans Welfare Association.
Its president Datuk Abdul Aziz Bakar, 68, said he will never forget some of the heartbreaking events when their troops were ambushed by the Communist.
Abdul Aziz had helped to carry an injured security personnel who died later.
“We will never forgive them as they created chaos by killing civilians and attacking security forces,” he told Bernama.
Abdul Aziz said the three-yearold association now has 3,500 members.
The membership is open to all former members of Vat 69 and other police personnel.
“The association’s aim is to look after the welfare of members and their families,” he said.
A former member of Vat 69, Mohammed Nor Bahari, 68, who now resides in Kluang, Johor, said he had to face four ambushes at the border area here.
Mohammed Nor, who served in the police force from 1969 until 2004, said among his experience was cradling a comrade who was hit by a bullet in an ambush.
“I can still recall clearly the scene of the ambush in a village here that killed Inspector Yusof Talib, and wounded constable Mohd Yassin,” said Mohammed Nor, who was shot in the right thigh.
He reminded today’s young generation not to be complacent about their responsibilities to the nation and to love the country, so that such tragic incidents would not recur.
Throughout the visit, the Vat 69 veterans kept recalling memories of participating in operations at specific locations and visited the village of former Communist terrorists here.