The 2SIR incident-most detailed report
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From : Good Morning Yesterday
It was the crack Indonesian paratroopers from the "KKI", an elite Guards unit from Jakarta which was sent on this mission. The Malaysian police post at Kota Tinggi were alerted of the parachute-landing and the nearest infantry garrison to Kota Tinggi was 2 SIR in Singapore. 1SIR at that time was deployed to the Sabah border with Indonesia.
One platoon of 2SIR was sent inside the jungles of Kota Tingi. For those who have ventured into Kota Tinggi (which I did as a child and as a teenager), it has a waterfall as the key attraction. The killing zone was north of the waterfall.
2SIR made no contact with the Indonesians for about a week. However, unknowingly the Indonesians were tailing one of the SIR sections. Not finding them for a week, that section grew tired and went for a bath at one of the nearby Kota Tinggi streams. Everybody left their weapons at the riverbank with no personnel on sentry-duty.
For those trained in the SAF doctrine, you are not supposed to do this and at all times, your rifle must be with you. The Indonesians pounded on our boys but one injured personnel managed to sneak away and ran for his life into Kota Tinggi Town. All this time, there was "radio silence" because this was a mission. It was only after the injured personnel emerged from the jungle that the incident became known. When the dead were recovered, their bodies were infested with maggots and were very gruesome
Reinforcements were rushed up from Singapore. On that mission were names like James Teo (who was the 5SIR CO for BERSATU PADU in 1971), Jimmy Yap (CO Officer Cadet School), Mahinder Singh (Dy Director SAFTI) and Dalgit Singh (CO 3SIR). They were “young lieutenants” then. James Teo was the unit signals officer. This time, the Indonesians scattered in different directions. It must have been somewhat of a surprise that no Indonesians were caught alive. I leave it to you to guess what must have happened next because I saw some of the photographs taken at that time. Don't forget our jungle-weapons also included the machete. The two Singhs were later involved in the Labis incident and again credited with many enemy killings.
The decomposed bodies were brought back to Holland Road Camp for the Malay burial rituals. The slain men were given a full-military burial.
Photo of the funeral at Bidadari Muslim Cemetery. Men wearing songkok were Malaysian regulars working side by side with their Singaporean counterparts in 2 SIR================
This is the most detailed account I had seen of this incident so far.......unless omeone cork-up again.......
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man, there was this incident? what year was it?
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This was during the confrontation. 1962-1966.
The Indonesians sent in terrorists into Malaysia (then inclusive of Singapore) in order to destabilize the region. Sukarno's didn't really have a strategic plan to accomplish anything at that time, all he wanted was to get rid of the local pressure and redirect it to something abroad.
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if i may i ll add another info here. I hope this wont offend anyone whose family involved.
The men of 2SIR were completely cought of guard and surrendered after a brief commotion. (since they didnt have their weapon on them)
the indonesian line them up near the water edge and execute them using a machine gun. All but one survive.
Allied troops comb every inches of the jungle and killed every singgle one of the Indonesian KKI.
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Hi,
Did any propose the possibility that the 'bodies' of the "terrorists" were never found because they "terrorists" were never caught!
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Somehow i dont hear this incident being told to us new-generation soldiers. The only time i heard about the Confrontation era is when COL(R)John Morris came down to Tekong to talk about National Education. Most us were dozing off after running SOC in the morning.. The lecture went on till about 5 in the evening. Gd opportunity to catch up on our sleep...
There is a book which detailed alot of Confrontation era operations during the Sukarno era. Titled "Kopassus: The inside story of Indonesia's special forces" by Ken Conboy. Although its the history of the country's special forces. it also relates operations undertaken by other units during the Confrontation era