The hidden price and unseen scars behind Malaysia’s peace

Major Salehuddin Abd Muttalib (Rtd) reflects on the enduring impact of racial strife and armed conflict on Malaysia's peace, decades after his service. Born before his 21st birthday, Salehuddin witnessed Malaysia's transition from colonial rule to independence without fully comprehending the nation's ongoing struggle for harmony. Following his commissioning into the Reconnaissance Regiment in 1969, he was deployed to Kuala Lumpur during the May 13 riots, witnessing the devastating consequences of racial tension firsthand.

After the riots, Salehuddin was sent to the northern border to combat communist insurgency. In 1972, he participated in a raid on an insurgent camp in Sarawak, where he discovered photographs of insurgents posing with weapons taken from fallen soldiers. This brutal reality contrasted sharply with his earlier memories of multicultural camaraderie, challenging his preconceptions about the nature of the insurgency.

In 1973, Salehuddin was awarded the Panglima Gagah Berani for leading Operation Teliti II, in which he captured top communist leader Fam Tze Heung and his pregnant wife, Hooi Yin. The mission, however, left a lasting emotional toll on Salehuddin, whose traumatic experiences led to post-traumatic stress disorder. Reflecting on the operation, he acknowledged the human cost of war and the blurred lines between right and wrong, emphasizing that opposing sides often shared similar hopes and fears.

Despite the horrors he witnessed, Salehuddin remains proud of his service and hopes that the sacrifices of his fellow soldiers in Sarawak are not forgotten. He envisions peace as a multiracial society where Malays, Chinese, and Indians can coexist in the same manner they did during his childhood, advocating for a renewed commitment to racial harmony in Malaysia.