Officer bemoans lack of respect for recipients of gallantry awards

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KUCHING: The government and the public seem to have a common misperception regarding the protocol for recipients of Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP) and Pingat Panglima Gagah Berani (PGB) awards bestowed to deserving soldiers.

Mohd Johari Ibrahim

Capt (Rtd) Mohd Johari Ibrahim, the first Malay army officer from Sarawak, who said this, stressed that SP was the highest federal honour and award in the country.

Nevertheless, he highlighted, whether the confusion was a result of ignorance or done on purpose, it seemed that SP and PGB recipients had not been accorded
due respect and honour when attending official events.

“By right, SP ranks number No. 1, well above those that carry the title Tun. For example, even former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) ranks fourth and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah ranks No. 5 in the government protocol list.

“Unfortunately, Warrant Officer One (WOI) Rtd Temenggong Kanang Langkau, the sole surviving SP recipient in the country and a Sarawakian, most of the time has not been receiving the honour
he rightly deserves,” he said.

Johari said, by right, Kanang should be seated at the same table with the head of states at any federal or state function but as it is now he would sometimes be asked to sit together with commoners.

“This is something very wrong. In fact the protocol list has been there for the last 20 years but just that it had not been put to practice, so now we want the government and the public to put things right. Enough is enough,” he said.

He said this when speaking to reporters at a media conference at the State Armed Forces Veterans Affairs Department office here yesterday.

He added that so far only three Sarawakians had been bestowed with SP award – the others being late Warrant Officer II (WOII) Lenggu China and Trooper Rasli Buang, both given posthumously .

Johari noted that similar lack of respect had also been given to PGB holders as according to protocol list they were equivalent to dignitaries with the title Tan Sri.

“In the protocol list PGB ranks No. 17 in the overall order of federal honour and award in the country but sad to note that in most cases our PGB holders are being ignored and as if
they are nobody,” he lamented.

Army recipients of PGB from Sarawak, in chronological order, are Lt (Rtd) David Fu Chee Meng, Cpl (Rtd) Lan Gima, WOII (Rtd) Mileng Kilong, Sgt (Rtd) Dajai Anggie, Cpl (Rtd) Unggek Antin, WOII (Rtd) Indang Engkas, WOII (Rtd) Mereng Imang, Cpl (Rtd) Bajau Ladi, Cpl (Rtd) Nyopis Noyeat, Lt Col (Rtd) Robert Rizal Abdullah, Cpl (Rtd) Sigai Nawan, WOII (Rtd) Beliang Bali, WOI Kanang Langkau and Major (Rtd) Michael Riman Bugat.

Many of them were among those present at the press conference yesterday.