KUCHING, July 22 — When Lt-General (R) Datuk Stephen Mundaw joined the army after completing his Form 6 education, it never occurred to him that this would be his true calling.

At age 20, he had applied for all sorts of jobs including posts in the police force, Land and Survey Department and the Forest Department, and at the same time, he had intended to enter tertiary.

"After completing Form 6 at SMK Simanggang, I applied for many jobs but the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) was the first to respond. So, I was interviewed in Sibu, and immediately employed in 1978.

"The main thing that influenced me to become a soldier at that time was to serve my nation. I have not looked back since, and I have no regrets,” said the retired commander, who hails from Sungai Melaban, Pakit in Sri Aman.

Still, it was only natural for Stephen to be in the armed forces in that he was raised in an environment surrounded by members of the security forces — many family members and close friends were either in the army or the police.

Growing up during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation period was also a strong influence.

Stephen was enlisted to the Sebatang Karah Camp in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan in 1978, where he underwent three months of ‘Officer Cadet’ training, before being selected to attend the Officer Cadet School in Portsea, Australia.

He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1979, and was posted to the Sixth Battalion of the Royal Ranger Regiment as a Platoon Commander based at Oya Camp in Sibu.

After serving for over 30 years, Stephen was promoted to Brigadier General in 2010 and took command of the Ninth Infantry Brigade in Sibu.

He was the first Dayak Iban to reach such rank in the ATM’s history.

"Before being promoted, my commander had asked me whether I deserved it — I told him I would prove that I was better than any of his brigade commanders.

"So, when I was appointed to the post, I felt that I must walk the talk to make sure that the Ninth Brigade would be the best brigade in the Malaysian army, and that’s just what I did.

"I must say that I was lucky to be at the right place at the right time. Coincidentally, they were looking for an East Malaysian to be promoted as general, especially from Sarawak as there were none (other candidates) at the time.

"There were just no other officers to be promoted — everyone my age had left, and so I was kind of a ‘lone ranger’ at that time, so they had no choice; therefore I was promoted.

"However, thinking back, I was glad to have been noticed for my capabilities and as I said, I always wanted to be the best.

"I think my record stands, my record shows it all, that I am probably one of, if not, the best among all the colonels at that point in time,” he told The Borneo Post.

Stephen, a graduate of the Masters in Strategic Studies from the United States War College, was promoted to Major General in 2014 and appointed as the Commander of the First Infantry Division, based in Sarawak.

He later became Lieutenant-General and in 2018, appointed as the Commander for the Eastern Field Command.

He retired on May 31, 2019 after having been in the armed forces for ‘41 years, four months and 24 days’.

"What motivated me throughout my career in the military was that I always placed myself to be the best in everything that I did. Even during my school days, I always competed to be the best and to be on top of the class.

"I was also very much inspired by the success of our Iban Trackers, known to be the best in the world in terms of jungle operations, as well as the stories of the Sarawak Rangers for being a successful fighting unit since Charles Brooke era.

"I am also very proud of our First Ranger Battalion, as they were the first to be trained by the British and were part of the Sarawak Rangers before being converted into Malaysian Rangers.”

During retirement, Stephen was offered a four-year contract with the Sarawak civil service as a ‘Special Task Officer’ at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development, mainly focusing on enforcement works.

That contract ended on May 31 this year.

Stephen said going through various levels of command in the military had given him many bittersweet memories.

"As a young officer and a platoon commander, I slept, ate and fought with the boys — we were close and knew each other well. We looked after one another and worked as a team.

"This kind of environment referred to by us as the ‘buddy-buddy system’ and it remains as one of the experiences that are still very fresh in my memory, and that I cherish the most,” he said.

Stephen and his wife Datin Jacqueline Peris are blessed with two sons, Faustino Mundaw and Elgernon Mundaw.

On his achievement as the first Dayak Iban army general, he could not express in words how much that meant to him.

"I keep reminding myself to always be outstanding as I am not only representing myself, but also the Ibans, and the Dayak community as a whole.

"I must reach the level that’s on par with the other military officers, especially those from overseas — it’s what I have always strived for.”

In view of his experiences, it is undeniable that Sarawak Day has a special meaning for Stephen.

"We should rejoice and celebrate this day as we have gone a long way since 60 years ago.

"Freedom is something that is very precious in our lives, where we can interact with each other and develop together towards greater heights of success — all this is the freedom that we all enjoy today.

"We also need to honour our forefathers, the heroes and the unsung heroes; their brave contributions, hardship, sacrifices and commitments, all of which have enabled us to move forward and live prosperously.”

Now 65, Stephen advised the younger generation to always stay positive and be appreciative of what they have now.

"We must preserve the peace, unity and harmony that we have now, which are very precious.

"We must preserve them; we must be willing to sacrifice to protect our sovereignty.”

Stephen, a staunch believer of the Royal Ranger Regiment’s battle-cry ‘Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban’ (to continue fighting as long as we live), continued on by reminding today’s generation to always respect and understand one another so as to enable the state to develop further.

Nonetheless, he also highlighted the importance of upholding and reinforcing the spirit of patriotism in every Sarawakian.

"Remember that Sarawak belongs to all of us. We must be proud and always protect Sarawak.

"That is the direction where we should go from here, and therefore, the younger generation must never give up.

"My hope is for Sarawak to be able to ride on the waves of development together with the other nations, and to be at par with them.

"To all Sarawakians, Happy 60th Sarawak Independence Day!

"Stand tall and be proud to be a Sarawakian!” said Stephen. — Borneo Post Online