265 receive Pingat Kedaulatan Negara for serving during ‘Ops Daulat’

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Khalid (second right) affixes Pingat Kedaulatan Negara on a police personnel who served during ‘Ops Daulat’ in Sabah in 2013 while Muhammad Fuad (right) looks on.

Khalid (second right) affixes Pingat Kedaulatan Negara on a police personnel who served during ‘Ops Daulat’ in Sabah in 2013 while Muhammad Fuad (right) looks on.

A section of the police personnel who received Pingat Kedaulatan Negara.

A section of the police personnel who received Pingat Kedaulatan Negara.

KUCHING: A total of 265 Sarawak-based police officers and other personnel who served during ‘Ops Daulat’ in Sabah in 2013 received their Pingat Kedaulatan Negara (PKN) from Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar yesterday.

PKN is a special appreciation medal awarded to security officers and personnel, as well as civil servants who had served during ‘Ops Daulat’ in Sabah.

The award presentation ceremony was held at General Operations Force (PGA) Brigade headquarters at Jalan Batu Kawah here.

Sabah, especially the eastern side of the state, was invaded in Feb 12, 2013 by some 200 armed men who identified themselves as the Sulu Sultanate Royal Army headed by Raja Muda Agbimuddin Kiram at Kpg Tanduo in Lahad Datu.

In order to avoid bloodshed, the Malaysian government sent a negotiation group and provided safe passage for the invaders to go back to their own country without condition. However, the negotiations reached deadlock when the Sulu invaders refused to retreat.

As a result of this, ‘Ops Daulat’ was launched on March 5, 2013 after the Sulu intruders conducted an ambush at Kpg Tanduo in Lahad Datu and Kpg Simunul in Semporna that killed 10 members of the security forces.

Throughout the period when ‘Ops Daulat’ was implemented, a total of 8,147 members of the security forces from the Royal Malaysia Police, Malaysian Armed Forces and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency were involved in special duties in the frontline to defend the nation’s sovereignty.

During the operation to defend the nation’s sovereignty, the security forces shot dead 72 intruders and injured five others. A total of 551 people were arrested and prosecuted in Court for various offences.

Among those present was Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director Datuk Muhammad Fuad Abu Zarim.