KUCHING: Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing is all for the revival of the Sarawak Rangers.
“They were our pride as they were the original defenders of Sarawak,” he told New Sarawak Tribune today.
The Parti Rakyat Sarawak president, who was asked to comment on whether the rangers would be revived if Sarawak’s status as a Malaysian region (higher than state status) is restored, he said regardless of whether Sarawak would became a region again or not, the revival of the Sarawak Rangers “will surely benefit the state”.
“Sarawak should have its own brave and courageous soldiers to defend its borders,” he said as he invoked the rangers’ war cry, “Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban” (literally, Fight to the death).
On Mar 8, the Minister of Law in Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said the federal government has agreed to amend Article 1 (2) of Federal Constitution to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners with Malaya within the Federation of Malaysia.
A para-military force, the Sarawak Rangers, was founded in 1862 by the second White Rajah Charles Brooke.
They were first commanded by William Henry Rodway in 1862 and then again from 1872 until his retirement in 1881.
They were excellent jungle fighters and often did general policing duties as well.
Besides protecting Sarawak’s borders, they were used to fight rebels and were used in a number of campaigns during their history.
In times of emergency or war, they were always supported by the local people.
The Sarawak Rangers were disbanded for a few years until 1932, then reformed as Sarawak Constabulary and deployed during the Second World War when they attempted to defend Sarawak from Japanese invasion in 1942.
After the end of the Brooke regime in 1946 and Sarawak, became a British colony, the Sarawak Rangers became a colonial unit under direct British control and saw action in both the Malayan Emergency and the Borneo Confrontation with Indonesia.
In 1963, when Malaysia was formed, the Sarawak Rangers was integrated into the Royal Ranger Regiment.
