KUALA LUMPUR: Commanding officer Mior Rosli Mior Jaafar was wanting ahead to a relaxed, enjoyable weekend when all hell broke free after a frantic alert was obtained by the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Kuantan, Pahang.
A lightweight Cessna 206 aeroplane had crashed in a communist-infested space 20 minutes after departing the Royal Selangor Flying Club in Sungai Besi at 8.55am.
The plane had encountered thick clouds over Waterworks Gap en path to Kuala Lipis, Pahang.
Rosli, then a captain and commanding officer of the 103rd Paskau Squadron, rapidly scrambled the 15 RMAF particular forces crew members underneath his cost to undertake a search-and-rescue mission on the mountainous Kampung Janda Baik in Bentong, Pahang.
A peaceful, enjoyable weekend had became a frantic search and rescue mission, leaving Sunday, Jan 10, 1982, endlessly etched in Rosli’s thoughts.
The mission was prime precedence as one of the three recognized to be on board was then international minister Ghazali Shafie, also called “King Ghaz”.
Recounting the incident, Rosli stated his crew headed for Janda Baik late that Sunday night instantly after a fast mission briefing.
“After being winched down from a helicopter, Second Lieutenant Ismail Manuri (who went on to retire as a brigadier-general) knowledgeable me that the crew members had earlier found our bodies within the plane’s wreckage. The plane’s nostril was buried within the floor.
“They have been instructed to hunt for Ghazali, as he wasn’t close to the wreckage.
“After a lot combing of the realm, Ismail was the primary to sight Ghazali.
“Thank God, we discovered him alive within the thick jungle. It was nearly a miracle.
“He was shivering badly, apparently from the chilly air and potential trauma, when Ismail noticed him sheltering underneath an enormous rock.
“Ismail informed me Ghazali confirmed no bodily accidents and appeared calm.
“We instantly summoned medical assist and ready to winch Ghazali right into a helicopter to be despatched to a hospital,” stated Rosli, now a retired main, in an interview along with Malaysia Day on Sept 16, which can be Armed Forces Day.
“However, we needed to spend the evening in Janda Baik as our Sikorsky S-61A-4 Nuri helicopter (which lacked evening navigation avionics) needed to return to Kuantan, owing to failing mild.
“We stayed on excessive alert because the Communist Party of Malaya insurgents have been energetic within the space.”
He careworn that opposite to some media studies, no massive stash of cash was discovered on the crash web site.
Media studies recognized two of the useless as teacher pilot Varghese Chacko and Ghazali’s bodyguard, Assistant Superintendent Charoen Daan.
“We have been instructed to rescue Ghazali, hand over duties to the police, and transfer out.
“There was no necessity to cordon the aeroplane because it was a civilian plane,” stated Rosli.
He stated Ghazali was taken to a clinic at Kampung Som Som in Janda Baik at first mild the subsequent day, earlier than being despatched by helicopter to Hospital Kuala Lumpur for additional examination.
Rosli, who had served the RMAF for 22 years, is now on a second mission – championing the rights, welfare and plight of the nation’s 300,000-odd navy veterans.
“All we’re in search of, in recognition of our devoted companies to the nation, is a greater pension scheme and perks,” stated Rosli, the Malaysian People’s Patriotic Voice Organisation president.
