Ngalinuh showing the SP medal at his home in KampungLusut in Miri in 2018.
MIRI: Ngalinuh Bala, one of the two remaining men from Sarawak to be awarded the Darjah Kebesaran Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP) medal, the highest federal highest gallantry honour in the country, passed away at the age of 79 yesterday at Miri Hospital.
He died after a week of hospitalisation from an abdominal operation.
Ngalinuh Bala@Kilah Ratu, who hailed from the humble Pa’ Lungan longhouse in Bario, served in the Police Field Force and retired in 1995.
Rurum Kelabit Sarawak president Dr Philip Raja said Sarawak Police and Bukit Aman were informed of his death at 6.07 pm.
A diabetic with kidney failure in his last days, his right hand had to be amputated three months ago due to an infection.
Among those who visited him last Sunday were Deputy DUN Speaker Dato Gerawat Gala and Dr Philip who was close to the Kelabit hero.
Sgt Ngalinuh in his younger days.
Prior to his death, Ngalinuh and Etin Bijam were the last two people to receive the award.
The SP Award was created on July 29, 1960 and was gazetted on August 11, 1960. It is ranked higher than the Order of the Royal Family of Malaysia (D.K.M.) awarded to Malaysian Royalty.
As the highest award of the Malaysian Federal Awards, it outranks awards which carry the title of Datuk, Tan Sri, or Tun.
A state funeral would be held in their honour with no less than eight pall bearers from officer of the rank of an Assistant Superintendent of Police carrying the casket in line with the highest hero send-off.
There were only 30 recipients of SP in the past 55 years.
He is survived by his wife SabitIwat@SinahNgalinuh Bala and five children; Ledea, Dalima, Elvis, Nasution and Kontessa.
Ngalinuh Bala received his letter of commendation from IGP, Tun Mohd Salleh bin Ismail in in 1972.
Ngalinuh was a sergeant and platoon leader with the 15h Battalion of the Police Field Force under Royal Malaysia Police when he and his team were attacked by a big group of communist guerrillas in Sibu on April 29, 1972.
The guerrillas, attacking from a vantage point, pinned down the convoy of a small group of armed escorts guarding a shipment of explosives to a PWD quarry at Jalan Ulu Oya .
After the initial attack, all the men scrambled out of the lorry and ran for cover to a nearby bulldozer which had been left there by PWD personnel carrying out road works.
Cornered behind the vehicle, Sgt Ngalinuh and Corporal Etin Bijam (the other recipient of the SP award) decided to counter-attack with a co-ordinated split charge at one of enemy’s position.
In the ensuing fire fight, Ngalinuh was shot in the right thigh while an enemy was killed.
The heroic duo and their comrades held their ground to prevent the explosives from falling into the hands of the attackers who retreated after reinforcement from a patrolling PFF platoon arrived to help. An unknown number of enemy combatants were either killed or injured as there were blood stains at the scene from the fleeing group.
Both Ngalinuh and Etin received the SP medals awarded by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong on July 6, 1972.
Ngalinuh was promoted to Sgt Major and later Sub-inspector, a rank he held at the 18th battalion of the PFF until his retirement in 1995.