It was just six days after his 22nd birthday, and a freshly-commissioned second-lieutenant was thrusted into the centre of a fierce combat.
Kamaruddin Mohd Jamal, now a retired army major, said he would never forget the battle as he stared death in the face on Aug 21, 1964.
It was during the Confrontation with Indonesia, when president Sukarno opposed the formation of Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963.
“I vividly remember it was a Friday as we were mobilised in the deep jungles of Pontian, Johor. We received intelligence reports of the ‘Ganyang Malaysia’ (crush Malaysia) infiltration by 15 Indonesian (TNI) troops at Kg Peradin, nearby,” he said.
He added that he was directed by his company commander, Captain Raja Aman Shah, to lead a platoon to confront the enemy in…