SHAH ALAM, Nov 8 — Former Bukit Aman Management Department director Tan Sri JJ Raj Jr, who died at the age of 100 last Saturday, was cremated at the Nirvana Memorial Park, Shah Alam here today.

He died at 1.55am following a heart problem (cardiac arrhythmia) at the Ara Damansara Medical Centre in Petaling Jaya.

Among those present to pay their last respects were Bukit Aman Management Department director Datuk Zaini Jass, principal assistant director of management (Police Retirees’ Affairs Division) Datuk Sulaiman Salleh and Selangor deputy police chief Datuk Sharul Lalli Masduki.

Zaini led the senior police officers in giving their last salute to the casket of the late police hero as a mark of respect from the police and the country.

He also expressed his condolences before handing over the Malaysian flag to a kin of JJ Raj.

JJ Raj, who hailed from Chemor, Perak, rose to fame when he was the Pagoh district police chief in Johor and once led the Tiger Squad in an operation to save the Bukit Kepong police station which was under attack from communist terrorists during the Emergency era in 1950.

He was appointed Bukit Aman management director in 1974 before retiring with the rank of Police Commissioner two years later.

Throughout his service in the police force, JJ Raj had held several important positions, among them, police chief of Pagoh (1950), Tangkak (1952) Kuala Kangsar (1954), Kulim (1955), Segamat (1957), Kuala Lumpur (1958) and Negri Sembilan deputy police chief in 1959.

He was also appointed as the Pahang police chief (1961), Royal Malaysia Police College commandant in Kuala Kubu Baru (1964), Negri Sembilan police chief (1967), Sarawak Deputy Police Commissioner (1969) and Selangor police chief (1973).

After retiring, JJ Raj joined the corporate world and was active in non-governmental organisations, voluntary groups and sports. — Bernama