KUALA LUMPUR – He was handpicked to head Malaysia’s pioneering, elite operations force to counter the threat of terrorism and militant coup at the height of the country’s vulnerability to homegrown insurrectionists.
He headed covert action-packed missions against violent armed communists that netted more than 1,500 and killed about 50 of the radicals.
He is hailed as an unsung hero who quietly and dedicatedly spent decades putting his life at risk in countering militants to protect the country and its people.
Datuk Leong Chee Woh, the mastermind behind clandestine elite special branch’s E3F Special Operations Force also known as the F-Team, passed away yesterday at the age of 91.
News of the retired senior assistant commissioner’s demise was announced in a sorrowful tribute from the police via a post on their Facebook page.
“Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani and members of the force express their condolences to the family of the late Datuk Dr Leong Chee Woh who passed away due to a stroke at his residence in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
“May you rest forever, our national hero,” it said.
Born in Taiping, Perak, on November 11, 1929, Leong joined the police force on December 1, 1950, to train as a probationary police inspector.
Prior to the formation of the Federation of Malaya and during the rise of the insurgent Malayan Communist Party (MCP), Leong saw action during the first (1948-1960) and second (1970-1991) emergencies in the country.
‘Scorpio’ that struck fear in hearts
According to reports, “Scorpio” was a codename given to him by his handler – a name that struck fear into the hearts of the communist leadership.
However, no one knew who Scorpio was until the surrender of MCP in 1989.
During an interview with New Straits Times in 2017, Leong had revealed that he was handpicked to lead the pioneer F-Team in March 1971 to carry out covert operations for intelligence gathering on communist terrorists’ activities.
He explained that its mission was to capture the enemy alive, to obtain information on the movements and plans of the terrorists.
As a result of his ingenuity in navigating the F-Team, the squad killed 48 MCP insurgents, captured 171 in the jungles and detained 1,432 others.
The E3F Squad was disbanded following the laying of arms of the MCP in Hat Yai, Thailand, in 1989.
Wilderness was his second home
Journalist and director of Garasi TV Syahril A. Kadir in a 2017 Facebook post described him as an unsung hero for he had spent decades of his life defending the country against enemies.
“We may assume that the non-Malays do not have the spirit of nationalism for the country, but Leong proved the perception wrong.
“He put his country ahead of himself. The wilderness became his second home.
“His life was at stake. He and his men could have been killed at any time because of the undercover work they did,” Syahril wrote.
Leong’s last posting was as special branch deputy director (operations) at the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur before he retired.
In 2010, the former special branch operative was awarded the Panglima Mahkota Wilayah, which carries a datukship, by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong during a Federal Territory Day celebration.
On September 9, 2017, he was bestowed the Panglima Gagah Berani award by the king.
He also authored six books in his lifetime. Among them are Scorpio: The Communist Eraser, Scorpio: Against The One Eyed Dragon, Scorpio on the Dragons’ Trail, and Scorpio in the Dragons’ Playground.
The patriot leaves behind wife Datin Liew Kim Har and sons Leong Peng Kheong, Leong Keng Kin and Leong Peng Khuen.
According to a report by New Straits Times, the wake is from 11am today at Nirvana Memorial Centre in Sg Besi, followed by his funeral there at 10am on Wednesday. – The Vibes, July 19, 2021
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