IPOH, Sept 6 — While most Malaysians were just settling down to the concept of a 
new nation in 1963, V. Palanisamy was about to be thrust into the thick of defending the country against a belligerent neighbour.

For the young man of 19 from Port Dickson, joining the police force to protect the nation from the Indonesians who had designs over Sarawak was a priority.

Knowing that Malaysia would need its youth to defend the country, he left school and signed up for a short training course with the police force.

“I stopped schooling as I knew a war was on and wanted to do something for the country. So, I signed up to defend Malaysia,” said the father of four who was then in Form Four.

He began training at the Thomson Road Police Training School Singapore in June 1963, and was posted to the Kandang Kerbau police station in February the next year.

Palanisamy said his first few days were tough as Singapore policemen had the arduous task of keeping  the  peace following riots on the island.

“We had two important tasks as the riots were on and Malaysia was at war with Indonesia. We had to keep an eye out for Indonesian infiltrators as well,” said the retired assistant investigation officer of the traffic division in Batu Gajah. 

Palanisamy said it was difficult for him as a greenhorn as he had to handle the bodies of those killed in the riots. The police station was full of bodies, he said, adding that at the height of the problem security forces had to be brought in from other parts of the country.

“But everyone fought to control the riots as they wanted a strong Malaysia where eveyone would be at peace,” he said.

At one point, he was rushed with hundreds of other policemen to the Pasir Panjang beach as the authorities had heard that Indonesian soldiers may be planning to land there.

“We were despatched to the beach to defend it.  We were there for a few days but nothing happened and we went back to our regular duties,” he said.

When Singapore became independent on Aug 9, 1965, 468 policemen born in the peninsula were retrenched. 

“However, the late Tun Ismail Abdul Rahman, who was then home minister, offered us a job with the Police Field Force which was still fighting the communists in the northern states,” he said.  

Palanisamy was re-trained at Ulu Kinta where the General Operations Force camp was located. 

He served with the Police Field Force for 35 years during which he was also involved in combat with communist terrorists.

One incident he remembers well is that of an operation in Sungai Siput Selatan where police had heard that communists were forcing the people to supply food to them.

“We patrolled the area and encountered three communists one day. They were shot dead by our team,” he said.

He said he had gone as far as Betong on the Malaysia-Thai border in pursuit of communists.

“Sometimes, the jungles were so thick we had to be dropped from helicopters using the fast-roping technique,’’ he said.

Palanisamy, who married Makaswari Krishnasamy, 68, in 1971, has three daughters and a son, Ramesh, 43,  who is Malay Mail assistant circulation manager in Ipoh.

Eldest daughter Sharmila, 44, is a teacher in Kulim, third in the family is daughter, Sanggetha, 40, a housewife, while the youngest is Valli Sujatha, 38, a bank staff in Putrajaya.

Palanisamy has eight grandchildren. 

Looking back at his life, Palanisamy said he had no regrets serving the country despite the many challenges he had faced.

“Our first Prime Miniser Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, who was the first to think of Malaysia, wanted us to live in peace and harmony. I believe we have succeeded in this respect,” he said.

As Malaysia prepares for its 59th anniversary, Palanisamy hopes Malaysians will remember the sacrifices of those who fought over the years to keep the country safe.