The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.
– Honoré de Balzac, French novelist and playwright
Nancy Jelima was a 21-year-old village beauty when she married a young Iban soldier from Simanggang about 40 years.
Her husband Lilie was from the Sarawak Rangers – a fighting regiment known for its tradition of courage and honour.
Ranjer Lilie stayed at the army barracks in Kuching, while his pregnant wife stayed with her parents in village 15 miles away.
It was a suitable arrangement because her husband was rarely at home as his battalion was often on operational duties as it was the height of the Sarawak communist insurgency.
However, five months into their marriage her 24-year-old husband’s battalion was transferred to Malaya to prepare for a major operation against the Malayan Communist Party terrorists.
It was a sad parting because Nancy didn’t know if she would see her husband again as the insurgency had resulted in heavy casualties on both sides.
After their tearful parting, Lilie kept his promise and sent Nancy part of his salary over the next six months – the details of which she kept in a small accounts book.
When the couple’s daughter Merina was born, Nancy sent the good news to her husband through the army’s battalion headquarters at Green Road in Kuching.
But as the months passed, there was no response from Ranger Lillie.
Nancy recalled: “When I went to collect my monthly allowance, the army told me that Lillie had stopped sending me money.
“I was quite naïve because I only had basic education and conversed in Iban. And was unaware about what was happening and my rights as a soldier’s wife.”
Sadly, the army did not inform her of Lillie’s whereabouts and she didn’t know if he was still alive or dead!
Now 60, Nancy added: “It was a difficult time because as Merina grew older, she would often ask for her father.
“But I was able to send her to school where she completed her secondary education.”
After form three Merina, who was also known as “Mang”, secured a job as a worker in a private company and helped provide some financial assistance for her mother.
During this time, both mother and daughter lived in rented premises and places in and around Kuching.
In 2017 Nancy’s vision became blurred when she contracted cataracts on both eyes.
I first met Nancy and Merina two years ago. A year ago Merina had to stop work as she was losing weight and was ill most of the time.
By now they were living from hand to mouth. But worse was to come.
Three months ago Merina was told she had a lump in her liver and needed an urgent operation which would cost RM10,000.
Sadly, a week after visiting the hospital, Merina died at the age of 42 in their squatter home at Tabuan Foochow in Kuching.
That was not the end of the story.
While looking through her documents, Nancy discovered that Merina had some money due to her in the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) worth about RM 10,000.
When Nancy tried to withdraw Merina’s savings she encountered another problem – the EPF would not let her have the money because they required the signature of both mother and father on the release document.
“I was in a dilemma because I did not know how to contact Lilie and I had not hear from him for more than 40 years,” she said.
As she was unable to get help I contacted a retired army general who had connections with the Ex-services Association and he managed to obtain Lillie’s mobile phone number.
It turned out that Lillie had remarried and become a Muslim. He retired with the rank of Sergeant and was now living with his Malay family in Johor.
Nancy finally got to speak to her husband last December and he agreed to come to Kuching to sign the release forms.
But he too is cash-strapped and hopes to visit the grave of his daughter whom he never knew.
Nancy lamented: “I had to borrow money to pay for the funeral expenses which came up to more than RM1,000. I also need to construct a simple tomb stone for which to remember my only child.”
If she can withdraw Merina’s EPF savings, the RM10,000 will help make ends meet.
I have offered to pay for Sgt Rasli’s return ticket and I am waiting for his bank details.
I have contacted the authorities about Nancy’s predicament and status but there has been no response since.
If the money is not released by March she would have to forfeit her daughter’s life savings.
Nancy still has poor vision even after she was operated on one eye.
(Ritchie is a former secretary of the Veteran’s Association of Malaysia, Sarawak branch. The author of ‘Crimson Tide over Borneo; Untold Police Stories and Cession of the Sarawak Communist Insurgency (1952-1990)’, he was one of 10 recipients of the ‘Friends of the Police’ award.)
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the New Sarawak Tribune.
