LAHAD DATU: Datuk Ahmad Marzuki Mohd Saad has never regretted the decision he made 38 years ago to join the police force.
Admitting that initially, he was motivated by the salary, the Sabah General Operations Force (GOF) commander stressed that after nearly four decades in the police force, he would not trade his experiences for anything else.
“I was a chief clerk in Pos Malaysia, but decided to join the force because at the time, policemen were paid well compared to other professions.
“Actually, I also got an offer from a teachers’ training college, but since I am kind of an adventurous person, I remained in the force,” said Marzuki.
Throughout his career, he faced many challenged with lots of incidences, but Marzuki said, the on-going Ops Daulat here is by far the most challenging one ever.
“Way back in Peninsular Malaysia, I was involved in the operations against the communists. But that was not as challenging as what I had to deal with over here.
“Under Ops Daulat, we are dealing with armed Filipino intruders and what made it difficult is that they blend easily with the community here. It is hard to tell them apart … that is what makes it more challenging,” he said.
Marzuki, however, said that being in the Police Field Force (now GOF) for 20 years has trained him well enough to deal with such conflicts.
“The conflicts may be different but we are able to deal with it thanks to our past experiences,” he said.
So this year’s Police Day is especially significant to Marzuki as he gets to celebrate it with thousands of his colleagues nationwide.
“I am glad that we get to celebrate the 206th Police Day here, it may be done on a small scale but it is enough to show that our contributions in upholding the nation’s sovereignty are appreciated.
“It is my hope that one day I will get to share with my children and grandchildren the importance of conserving peace and harmony. This is what patriotism is all about.
“Politics aside, the whole incident has also taught us a valuable lesson – we must never be traitors. But there is one thing good that came out from all of this – it helped us to unite and fight for what is rightfully ours,” he said.
Marzuki’s words were echoed by Lance Corporal Padmini Subramaniam, who is also proud to be part of the security forces involved in Ops Daulat. Padmini, who is based at the Kuala Lumpur Police Headquarters, admitted that she has a long way to go, being in the force for just six years now, but disclosed that she is ready for any challenges ahead of her.
“We are trained to be ready for any challenges, and I am ready. I am just happy to be able to serve the people and be part of all these courageous people who are fighting to restore peace in Sabah and the district again,” she said.
The simple-yet-memorable event was held at the Felda Residence Sahabat, which is located some 20 kilometres from Kampung Tanduo, where the conflict began. Ops Daulat was launched on March 5 when the Malaysian security forces launched its offensive attack against the Filipino intruders.