Tracker Menggong anak Panggit

It was on that fateful November 13, 1952 morning during a patrol at Labis, 20 members of his British army patrol were outnumbered by 100 members of the enemy—Communist Terrorists (CTs) encamped in a wooded area in Air Panas estate in Johore. Born at Nanga Delok in Lubok Antu on April 12, 1933, it was a dream come true for the Iban warrior when he was accepted Sarawak Rangers in 1948 when he was only 15 years old.

Even his parents did not know where he had disappeared to until he reached Port Dickson for a short two-week training stint before being sent to the jungle. “I was a really determined to join the army and knew that if I told my parents they would not let me go. I even had to lie to the army and say I was 18 years of age,” he laughed when looking back.

Following his two-week stint at Port Dickson, Menggong received more training with the 42nd Royal Marine Commandos, Special Air Service Regiment and Viet Cong tactical course. Quickly promoted to the rank of acting lance corporal Michael Menggong anak Pangit was seconded to the 1st Battalion Cameronians Scottish Rifles.

Back in jungles of Labis, Johore, Menggong was immediately reported to his commanding officer, an English Lieutenant Bald. Together with 20 European officers and men , 14 of whom were Iban soldiers, they ran into an enemy camp with about 100 CTs were waiting in ambush.

An "Orang Kebal" (Invulnerable Man) he carried a lucky charm which he believed made him invincible. Before Menggong died from a short illness in 1998 ago he told me his story “It was November 13, 1952 and I was a 19-year-old acting Lance Corporal. The platoon commander was Lt. R.R.G. Bald of the First Cameronian Scottish Rifles. "There were four tuans (White people) and 20 of us Ibans in the platoon who were searching for the enemy in Labis.

“A day before our contact, I smelt smoke. My instinct told me the enemy was near. That night my cousin, Ranggi, dreamt of a man slaughtering a white cockeral. “Early the next morning, he warned me to be careful because I was always the first man in line.

“At about 7.30am on Nov 13, 1952, we stumbled onto one of the largest CT camps in the Labis area.Lt Bald had gone ahead and accidentally walked into their camp with 100 CTs. It was a death trap because the CTs were waiting for us in position."

Menggong continued: "Lt Bald gave me instructions not to shoot until he gave the order. I was unhappy with his decision, because I felt it was better to attack the enemy before they could react. But I had to obey his orders even if it meant losing my life. “I was moving towards the right flank in thick jungle when the enemy suddenly opened fire. Lt Bald was killed in the first burst. My men then shouted that he was dead."

As second in command, Menggong took over immediately and shouted out instructions to his tracker unit to attack the enemy. Because they faced heavy odds, progress was slow. But he was not afraid, he says, because his grandfather had told him he was invincible. "I was confident that the bullets would not penetrate my body. I don't know how I had the strength to fire the bren gun in a standing position.

“But I had finished eight magazines when I realised that the enemy had retreated. When we reached the camp I was shocked that there were so many huts. I never knew there were so many men." Menggong then ordered a tactical retreat, bringing along the body of Lt.Bald. Then he commanded his men to hold their position while he went for help alone.

"I realised that I would be able to get help faster if I went alone. A sniper could have easily finished me off if I was not careful. It took me about almost two hours to cover about two miles in the jungle (without a compass) before I finally hitched a ride (after reaching passing through the Tenang rubber estate road) to the Labis Police station."

His SOS call to his company's base triggered off a massive counter-attack. Menggong then led about 300 soldiers back to rescue the others. The reinforcements found that 19 terrorists had been killed and that the rest had retreated into the jungle. "I wanted to follow the men and finish off the rest of the CTs, but the British said I was tired and needed rest. I had to obey orders even though I really wanted to go on."

Thirteen days after he was involved in another follow-up operation in Labis and two more terrorists were killed. On March 1953 Menggong was awarded the GC and officially received the medal from General Sir Gerald Templer at a ceremony at the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on June 16, 1954. His letter of commendation was signed by the Commander in chief of the Far East Land Forces, General Sir Charles Keightley.

Continuing with his story Menggong was 15 when left his longhouse in Nanga Enteli, in the Delok area of Batang Ai, without informing his parents. "In the old days, young Ibans just left their longhouses on bejalai (ritual journeys). “It was an adventure for me and I turned up for the interview at Sibu with Bernard Jarraw, who later became a lieutenant in the Sarawak Rangers.

“I only wrote to tell my father when I started training at the headquarters in Port Dickson as an Iban tracker." Barely two months later he was attached to the second battalion of the Scottish Guards regiment at Kuala Kangsar, on Sept 22, 1948, he saw action. "We killed 14 CTs (communist terrorists). In November we killed six other CTs in three contacts,” he said.

He then joined the Sarawak Rangers as a member of the security forces and served in the jungles of Kedah, Perak, Pahang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Johor and Sarawak during the Emergency. In 1957 he opted to join the Sarawak Constabulary (before it was called the Royal Malaysian Police) during the colonial era and continued to distinguish himself.

Altogether, he had at least 53 "contacts" with the CTs in Malaya in which 42 of the enemy was personally killed by him. In 1963 Menggong also played a key major role during the Brunei Rebellion when he managed to persuade 344 officers and "rebels" from the Tentera Nasional Kalimantan Utara (TKNU) to lay down their arms at Sundar (Lawas) soon after the December 7 1962 uprising.

Menggong also claimed that in the 1970s, he was on the trail of North Kalimantan Communist Party (NKCP) terrorists, who were led by Bong Kee Chok. At about 6.30 a.m. on September 25, 1973 ASP Menggong received a telephone call from the Sri Aman Divisional Superintendant instructing him to report to headquarters. Menggong had said in a report in the magazine “Memoir Skuad 69 PDRM” that CT “Kew Pok Sin” had deserted from Bong Kee Chok’s group after being pursued by the security forces.

Menggong added: “At first I suspected that he could a decoy trying to lead us into a communist trap, but later I was satisfied that Kedw genuinely wanted to surrender. He provided vital information on Bong’s movements.” With that ASP Menggong prepare his 20-member platoon of Border Scouts for the important mission—to capture or kill the top communist leader Bong Kee Chok.

In October 1973, Bong and 570 CTs agreed to finally gave up their struggle and signed a memorandum of understand with the Sarawak government.