KUCHING: Temenggong Kanang Langkau, 67, the last surviving holder of the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP), received the prestigious Panglima Gemilang Bintang Kenyalang which carries the title "Datuk" from Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng in conjunction with his 90th birthday yesterday.
Temenggong (Paramount Chief) Kanang is a famous Malaysian hero and soldier from the Iban Dayak community in Sarawak.
He was in the Royal Ranger Regiment and Regimental Sergeant Major of 8 Renjer (8th Rangers) of the Malaysian army.
He was awarded the Panglima Gagah Berani and Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa medals by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ahmad Shah on June 3, 1981.
"This is indeed an honour for lower-ranked soldiers like me. This is not an award for me alone but for people like me who have sacrificed for the nation," he said when met at the Dewan Lapau Kompleks Dewan Undangan Negeri.
Kanang, who led Unit Combat Intelligence Platoon of the 8th Battalion Royal Rangers to track down communists, was shot three times during the battle with communists on Feb 19, 1980 but survived the ordeal. His battalion killed five communists.
Sarawak state assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Mohamad Asfia Awang Nasar headed the list of 909 other recipients during the awards ceremony.
Asfia received the Datuk Amar Bintang Kenyalang award which carries the title "Datuk Amar" while Muara Tuang state assemblyman Datuk Mohamad Ali Mahmud was the sole recipient of the Panglima Negara Bintang Sarawak, which carries the title "Datuk Seri".
Head of the Brunei History Centre Pehin Jawatan Dalam Seri Maharaja Datuk Seri Utama Dr Awang Mohd Jamil Al-Sufri was conferred an honorary PNBS, which carries the title Datuk Seri.
Minister in the Chief Minister's Department Datin Fatimah Abdullah heads nine recipients of the Panglima Gemilang Bintang Kenyalang (PGBK), which carries the title Datuk.
Others in the list were Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Department Naroden Majais, Public Utilities Assistant Minister Sylvester Entri, Housing and Urban Development Assistant Minister Abdul Wahab Aziz, Tourism and Heritage Assistant Minister Mong Dagang, Sarawak Rivers Board chairman Roland Sagah Wee Inn, army chief of staff Maj-Gen Datuk Mazelan Kasap and 9th Infantry Brigade commanding officer Brig-Gen Stephen Mundaw.
Two recipients of the Darjah Jasa Bakti Sarawak (DJBS) were federal finance officer Jabidah Monseri and state Syariah Courts chief judge Mohamed Ali Mohamed Sheriff. The award carries the title "Datu".
Among the 13 recipients of the Panglima Setia Bintang Sarawak (PSBS), which carries the title "Dato", were High Court Judicial Commissioner Rhodzariah Bujang, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Sarawak rector Prof Dr Jamil Hamali and Inland Revenue Board deputy director-general (tax operations) Mohammad Sait Ahmad.
Hitachi GST Sarawak managing director Seyed Ali Dabier Moghaddam received an honorary PSBS.
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