KUCHING – July 22 was declared a public holiday by the late chief minister Datuk Tan Sri Adenan Satem in 2016 to honour the sacrifices of the state’s past leaders.
Honouring them on this special day, Cecilia Malong also remembered her late eldest brother Wilfred Gomez Malong, who together with his comrades risked his life to defend the state and nation from communist terrorists (CTs) in the 70s.
Cecilia fondly spoke to The Vibes about the exploits of her brother Wilfred after watching today’s episode of Bujang Berani, a weekly documentary featuring the state’s decorated war heroes.
“My late brother was the youngest to receive the second highest award for bravery, the Panglima Gagah Berani (PGB). He was only 23.
“He was a member of the Special Branch Probing Unit (SBPU) and was leading his section of two other police officers when they received information on a band of CTs in the jungles of Ulu Poi in Kanowit.”
According to her, the trio trudged for five hours to reach the enemy position.
One of them accidentally stepped on a dry twig that snapped loudly enough to alert the enemy. The enemy was upon them in minutes and active gunfire was exchanged.
It took Wilfred’s SBPU unit just 10 minutes to kill four of the CTs while the others scattered from their camp. When the unit surveyed the camp, they found footwear indicating that the enemy force actually outnumbered them by six times.
For this heroic act, Wilfred, who was holding the rank of ASP, was decorated with the PGB.
According to Cecilia, her brother later went on to study law and was a practicing lawyer when he was afflicted with colon cancer and succumbed to the illness on February 2, 2013 at the age of 63.
She said he had always dreamt of being a uniformed personnel with the police department.
He was also a politician with Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS). Wilfred was laid to rest with police honours at the Kg Entingan Christian cemetery in Kota Samarahan.
The state government’s refusal to allow Wilfred’s remains to be buried at the Heroes Cemetery in Jalan Budaya had saddened many Sarawakians, as they felt Wilfred was not given his last wish due to being on the wrong side of the political divide.
“That was his last wish.
“Even if they decide to re-inter his remains posthumously at the Heroes’ Cemetery, we will object as his soul is already at rest,” she said.
PBDS president Bobby William told The Vibes: “The late warrant officer Kanang anak Langkau of the Sarawak Rangers received two awards from the Malaysian king. He was bestowed with the Panglima Gagah Berani and the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa.
“He was the last person to be buried at the Heroes’ Cemetery on January 6, 2013. Although he received more awards than Wilfred, we Dayaks feel that Wilfred too must have had his last wish fulfilled by the state government.
“By all counts, both Kanang and Gomez were heroes. Kanang fought in Semenanjung Malaysia while Gomez fought defending Sarawakians and the state against communist insurgents,” he added.
Selangau MP and Ba’kelalan state rep Baru Bian said when contacted: “I first came to know Wilfred in the late 1980’s when we both were practicing and together in the legal fraternity. We also returned to Sarawak at about the same time.”
He said Wilfred was a very humble and easy-going person.
“We were assigned together with three other lawyers to defend five people in the Balai Ringin NCR case. Wilfred was a personal friend. Yet, in all my conversations with him, he never once bragged about his exploits and being conferred this most prestigious medal of valour.
“I am very disappointed that he was not laid to rest with our other state heroes,” he added.– The Vibes, July 22, 2021
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