Who was Sarawak’s first Iban Hero? Historians would say it was Libau or Rentap, the arch-enemy of the first Rajah, James Brooke.
Some 120 years later after Sarawak has become a part of Malaysia another personality named Ubong anak Nuing threatened to raise an army of warriors to fight for the rights of the common man.
The leader of the native wing of the North Kalimantan Communist Party (NKCP), Ubong became the scourge of the armed forces because a large number of soldiers and policemen were killed by his elite team of warriors.
Ubong was not only a fighter, but was also a politician who tried to form a Dayak political party which he called ‘Parti Rentap’ after his role model — Rentap the warlord.
Both Rentap and Ubong failed in their respective missions, but not because they were minnows fighting powerful forces.
On one hand Rentap of Skrang spent a decade fighting Rajah Brooke forces from the early 1850s until his fortress at Bukit Sadok was captured in 1861. Even though he was never captured, he died a bitter man.
His struggle against the White Rajahs was lost when he was betrayed by his own community (who earlier on swore loyalty to him), as well as Iban mercenaries who served in Brooke’s army of 20,000 men.
On the other hand Ubong who was the scourge of the middle Rajang enclave was wise enough to realise that it was better to sue for peace rather than go to war.
The late Datuk Lawrence Lim Eng Liong was chiefly responsible for the surrender of Ubong and the Sarawak communist terrorists who had created havoc by wanton killings in ambushes as well as assassination of his own countrymen.
Four years before he died on January 7, 2006, Lawrence, who was police Special Branch head before his retirement, wrote about the sacrifices of some of his colleagues and friends who lost their lives serving their beloved Sarawak.
In a passionate letter to the chairman of the State Security Committee on March 10, 2002 he wrote, “If Ubong was accorded (the title) hero, why not Supt Johnny Mustapha, Inspector Harmon Wong, Sergeant Major Edward Kula and Corporal Kong Side Lung?
“What about Christopher Jantan and his brother-in-law who died while on duty during the election (in 1970)? What about the soldiers — 80 of them from the 1st Ranger and Malay Regiments?
“What about the civilians, including the late Penghulu Imban and 130 others? They all lost their lives, gone with history, names also forgotten, buried in the files.”
Penghulu Imban was tortured and chopped into pieces in front of his family when he refused to join the communists. His sons later joined the security forces to avenge him.
Lawrence’s colleague, Johnny Mustapa, was killed in a firefight with Ubong’s men at Stabau near Sibu on April 6, 1975 while his subordinate in the Special Branch, Harmon Wong, was assassinated by a killer squad in front of his home in Sibu.
Similarly, his most trusted men Sergeant Major Edward Kula and Corporal Kong lost their lives in the wretched 27-year insurgency which started in 1963.
Lawrence said that if the former terrorists were “forgiven” and even given rewards including appointments as community leaders despite the atrocities they committed, why were the loyal members of the security forces not given equal or similar treatment?
But being a devout Roman Catholic from Kanowit, he is willing to forgive (but not forget), which was why he arranged for the peaceful surrender of Ubong.
In 1985 it took Lawrence and a handful of brave policemen to persuade the old chief and his band of 100-odd terrorists to give up. When he died 11 years ago he was still disappointed that many of his colleagues and friends were not remembered for their services.
But his pleas did not totally fall on deaf years because at least two of those he mentioned in his 2002 letter were given posthumous awards. Johnny Mustapha was given the title “Datuk Amar” and Christopher Jantan got the Johan Bintang Sarawak (JBS).
Indeed, many government loyalists who either died in service or were severely wounded have not been forgotten even though there are too many to remember.
But time is a healer and their families can be proud that they were the personification of Rentap or “heroes” of today.
