REMEMBERING OUR HISTORY. LEST WE FORGET. THE REWARD OF SOLDIERING By Lt Col Tan Siew Soo

2/Lt Tan Siew Soo, Leopoldville, Congo. early November 1960.

The First Malayan Special Force (MSF) comprising 4RAMD+C SQN 2 RECCE arrived home after nine months of sterling service with the United Nations in the Congo (ONUC). On 30th JULY 1961, this MSF boarded a special train at Port Klang for Kuala Lumpur.

The reception enroute was fantastic, people rushed out from their houses on both sides of the track to wave and greet us. It was a spontaneous super duper wave of friendly hands throughout the forty odd kilometer journey. This jesture touched the heart of every soldier on that train.

Arriving at the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station we marched out to an open space for a welcome home address by our Deputy Prime Minister cum Defence Minister, Tun Abdul Razak bin Dato Hussein. This wonderful welcome home here was another very touching scene for us the returning soldiers.

Eight thousand well wishes with placards jammed the small area to greet these returning heroes. (The Straits Times 31 July 1961).this must be the closest perception of rewards for soldiering! Earlier, on 24th June 1961, the UN Supreme Commander, Lt Gen Sean McKeon specially flew down over two thousand kilometres from Kinshasa to Kalemie to present the Officers of this MSF the Congo Medal during a Farewell Parade.

Excerpts of his speech(The Straits Times 4 July 1961) are as below: "...... You have been given many difficult assignments since your arrival in November last year. These tasks have been performed in a magnificent manner. It has been a pleasure to deal with you and to see the readiness with which orders were accepted and carried out efficiently.

You have every right to return to Malaya proud in the knowledge that you have given a good account of yourselves. I hope your people, your army and your country will come to know fully of the very fine record you have gained for yourselves here in the cause of peace in the Congo and indeed peace in the world as a whole........ "

Lt Col TAN SIEW SOO (Retired, Jan 1957-Nov 1990) ARMOUR

Postscript : During the Congo era, our Cabinet Ministers were still schooling and unlikely to be aware of the MSF sacrifices and meritorious service to King and Country. Hopefully, they would now be enlightened to support our pension anomaly Pre 2013. Today those few alive are still waiting for justice!!