Mum of four is navy’s first woman captain
KUALA LUMPUR: When Kapten Rohana Jupri joined the Royal Malaysian Navy 33 years ago, she did not expect to be the one to open the door of opportunity for women naval personnel.
The mother of four rose up the ranks and has now become the first woman in the navy’s 83-year history to be appointed captain.
“This is a proud moment for me and indeed a grand recognition from my superiors. I am thankful for this,” she said after a ceremony at KD Sri Gombak near here yesterday.
Before her promotion to captain, Kpt Rohana, 54, was also the first woman commanding officer at the Western Naval Supply Depot in Lumut, Perak, where she oversees food rations, fuel and other naval needs.
“It is a challenging job because you deal with human and ship needs.
“Any miscalculation in rationing could affect a mission,” she said.
However, she said her skills in handling her own household matters helped her overcome those challenges.
In carrying out her duties, the Tanjung Karang native travels four hours every week to her base, leaving her husband Anuar Yahya, 57, and children aged between 16 and 21 at home.
“The journey can be quite tiring but duty calls and I look forward to being with my family again every weekend,” she said.
She attributed her promotion to her husband’s support as well as navy chief Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kama rulza man Ah mad Badaruddin’s recognition of her competency and skill.
The ambitious Kpt Rohana now hopes to be the navy’s first woman First Admiral.
“I think both men and women can achieve anything if we put our minds to it.
“After all, we received the same training and ate the same rations. We just need to prove ourselves,” she said.
Kpt Rohana hopes that her promotion will inspire other women officers to believe in their capabilities and rise up the ranks to hold more senior positions in the navy.
Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman also promoted nine naval athletes who won gold medals at the recent SEA Games.