GUA MUSANG, Sept 1 (Bernama) -- During the Emergency, the Orang Asli’s intimate knowledge of the jungle made them an invaluable asset to the Senoi Praaq unit of the General Operations Force (GOF) in tracking and curbing the communist threat in the country’s interior.
GOF retiree Angah Asu, 69, recalled joining the security forces at the age of 18 after completing training in Ulu Kinta in 1974, before being assigned to several operational areas, including Kuala Wias and Pos Gemalah in the interior of Gua Musang.
Angah said Senoi Praaq personnel at the time ventured deep into the jungle to detect enemy movements and conduct security operations in remote areas that were difficult to reach.
"At that time, the Emergency was still ongoing, and we had to go into the jungle to carry out operations. I even had to fight the enemy and, on one occasion, fired blank shots to drive them away.
"We also got help from other Orang Asli because they knew the jungle better than anyone else," he said when met by reporters in Kampung Gob here recently.
Angah said the residents were no strangers to the communist threat, as communist groups had been moving through the area since around 1970.
"At that time, they were already in the Pos Gob area, and some Orang Asli were also with them. That was when Senoi Praaq came in to help the security forces protect the area, which was quite remote," he said.
Angah recalled that life was tough at the time, with his family from Kampung Belaer, Pos Gob, having to move to a safer area when they first settled at the post in 1968 due to the Emergency.
"Back then, people often fell sick, and sometimes two or three people died in a day. After a month, we couldn't take it anymore, so my father told us to move to a hut," he said.
He said the construction of a school by the British army in 1970 marked the beginning of development in Pos Gob, giving Orang Asli children the chance to receive a formal education.
"We had Orang Asli teachers from Kuala Betis and Malay teachers too. Many Orang Asli children studied there, including me, before I went to school in Pos Gemalah," he said.
--BERNAMA