It had been a long day for Lance Corporal Mering Imang who was involved in a major operation to track down a group of eight members of an elite communist terrorist (CT) group taking refuge in a rubber estate in Kedah.
A member of a special army task force, Mering, 23, had accidentally stumbled into their camp and suddenly found himself facing the enemy.
Recalling the incident on that fateful day at about 9 a.m. on May 14, 1971, Mering said: “I was with a group of 20 army commandos and the order was to stay put while stationed on a hill in Dublin Estate in Kulim.
“But I felt restless and asked my superior officer if I could walk down the hill and check out a valley below which was covered with bamboo shrubs. Suddenly I realised that I had walked into the enemy’s camp and it was now a matter of life and death because I was all alone”.
Before he could retreat, the CT sentry spotted him and fired but missed and in return Mering killed the CT in his first burst of gunfire.
Mering continued pursuing the enemy and killed four others in the melee. He was then joined by his superior Cpl Basri who came down hill to support him.
More troops arrived and eventually the security forces eliminated all eight members of the group securing a major blow to the enemy.
Mering personally killed a total of five CTs and for his effort and courage in pursuing the enemy received the Pingat Gagah Berani (PGB) — the nation’s second highest award for valour.
Mering told the New Sarawak Tribune this exclusive story in an interview during a visit to Kuching to receive a State award from the Governor of Sarawak, Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud at the Astana earlier.
He is one of the 27 Sarawak “heroes” whose stories remain untold despite their sacrifices during the communist insurgency in Malaya and Sarawak between 1948 till 1990.
The first Colonial hero was Datuk Awang anak Raweng, 86, who received the George Cross after fighting off a group of 50 CTs while saving one of his colleagues at Kluang in Johor on May 21, 1951. ASP Menggong anak Pangit received the George Medal in a battle at Labis in Johor on November 13, 1952.
Six others received Malaysia’s highest award the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP) and 19 others were conveyed the Panglima Gagah Berani (PGB) award.
Only Datuk Awang, two SP and 13 PGB recipients are still alive to tell their tale.
Born in Long Seniyai in Baram on May 12, 1948, Mering’s father died when him and his two other siblings were still young.
Staying with relatives at Long Keseh, Mering was unable to further his education after primary six because his foster parents could not afford it.
“I tried to join the Border Scouts at the height of the Confrontation with Indonesia in 1964 but was refused because at the time, I was only 16,” he said.
But three years later on June 1, 1967 he was accepted into the army and joined the Ranger Regiment at Port Dickson.
As a young recruit he underwent safety weapon, jungle combat and trekking training and even served as a “sentry” in the ammunition store, and even a Batman (orderly) to the platoon commander.
“As the batman I was practically his servant, ran errands and had to cook for my boss, look after his personal kit and clothes and even polish his shoes. But it was part of the training process and I took it in the right spirit,” he mused.
Over the next six years he served all over the country in the Peninsular and Sarawak and won many friends before retiring as a Sergeant at the age of 29 on July 1, 1977.
He added: “My experience in the army was short but I had a chance to even serve in the Combat Intelligence Section (UCIS) which was interesting because we were allowed to keep our hair long to enable us to integrate with the public to source for information”.
“Because I retired early I did not have a pension and had to eke out a simple existence in the private sector and raise a family”.
It was a difficult period because the government did not give out any special allowance for recipients of awards for gallantry until only a few years ago.
But Mering who is from the Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) managed to get by.
He said: “I can only thank god for protecting me throughout my career in the army and for allowing me the opportunity to serve the country”.
“And with the small ‘heroes’ allowance which I have received for several years, I have been able to sustain my family in Miri,” added Mering who now spends his time and doing church work.
