SIBU: A total of 203 retired or former officers from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) Sarawak Contingent were honoured with the Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara (PJPN) during the fifth series of the 2024 award ceremony.
According to Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mancha Ata, the medal is a recognition of their bravery, sacrifices, and contributions during the Malayan Emergency (12 July 1948 – 21 July 1960) and the Communist Insurgency (17 June 1968 – 2 December 1989), including the Sarawak and Sabah insurgencies from 1962 to 1990.
“Out of the 203 recipients, 121 retirees personally attended the ceremony, while 82 were represented by their next of kin. The event was held in Sibu, chosen for its central location to accommodate the majority of recipients living in the region,” he said
Leading the list of honorees was retired ACP Fauzi Saadi Diol, the former commanding officer of the 12th Battalion, General Operations Force (PGA) Miri, who is now 73 years old.
“A total of 1,218 retired officers in the Sarawak contingent are still eligible for the award. However, many have declined to attend due to health concerns or other reasons.
“Those who could not attend will receive their medals without ceremony, in line with the directive from the Director of Management dated 22 July 2021,” he added.
Since 2014, Sarawak PDRM has organised 17 ceremonial PJPN award series and five non-ceremonial series, with a total of 2,517 recipients. The fifth series of 2024 marks the final ceremony in which the medal will be awarded in an official event.
Moving forward, Sarawak PDRM will delegate the authority to District Police Chiefs to distribute the medals to recipients either at their respective district headquarters or directly at the homes of retirees.
