Former military officer Captain Dr Wong Ang Peng says it was always a luxury to be able to go home for Chinese New Year celebrations.
SUBANG JAYA: For army veteran Captain Dr Wong Ang Peng, going home for Chinese New Year during his time with the military was never a sure thing.
In his 10 years of service with the army, he reckons he missed five years’ of celebrations.
“We would have to apply for leave in advance. We were not entitled to public holidays.
“But even if you had applied in advance, you could still be recalled whenever they needed to send personnel for operations.
“That is why I never told my family or promised them I would make it back for Chinese New Year. It was better that way,” he told FMT.
Recalling the many Chinese New Year reunions he had missed, Wong said as a military officer, to be able to celebrate any festive season was a luxury.
Because there were also other Chinese army personnel, he added, it was only fair that they took turns to get a day off or return home for festive celebrations.
“It was sad, of course, thinking about reunion dinners and ang pows (red packets), but when we signed up with the army, harshly put, it was like signing a death warrant.
“You give your life wholeheartedly to serve the country. You cannot be distracted by such thoughts.”
Wong, who is a member of the National Patriots Association (Patriots), said this was especially the case if the information received was classified “A1”, that is, confirmed information from a reliable source.
“You cannot decline to be sent into the field. You know there has been confirmation of the enemy in that particular location.”
‘Losing a son’
Wong’s military career path did not initially go down well with his family, as during the 1970s, joining the army was considered a step down.
For Wong, his desire to join the army was based on admiration for the Armed Forces, a hunger for adventure, and his own outgoing personality.
However, it broke his mother’s heart when he decided to join the Royal Military College, he said.
“She cried. She feared losing a son.
“For a Chinese family back then, a son joining the army was seen as dishonouring the family because it spelled an unpredictable death. That translates to the son not being able to continue the family lineage.
“That is why my mother was very unhappy with my decision.”
It was not until much later, when the Chinese from China came to Malaysia, that his mother learned from her conversations with them that they considered it an honour to be able to fight for their country, he said.
“It took her a year to finally accept me joining the military, and she was finally proud of what I was doing.”
Army memories
In June 1979, Wong suffered his first combat injury in a 45-minute firefight: a splinter from a launcher explosion which hit his left calf.
This occurred during a special operation in Gunung Korbu, near Sungai Siput, where he specifically told his company commander not to inform his family if he was shot.
“It wasn’t very painful because it didn’t hit any nerves or bone. It was more of a numb sensation.
“I was airlifted out of the jungle together with the dead soldiers the next day. But when they took an X-ray, the doctor said it wasn’t necessary to remove it.
“Since it wasn’t painful, I said it was all right to leave it there. Today, I still have it with me,” he told FMT.
When asked what his greatest fear was during an operation, Wong said booby traps were his biggest concern.
“You can avoid gunshots, but when you are creeping into an enemy’s base, you can’t tell where the booby traps are.
“That is how some soldiers lose their limbs or die in the line of duty.”
Wong also recalled the strong bond between servicemen at the time, saying race was never an issue regardless of where a fellow soldier came from.
“We always practised a colourless mindset. You didn’t have time to talk about who came from where and whether he was Malay, Chinese or Indian.
“Our job was to serve the country, and that was our main goal. We had each other’s backs.”
But things are different today, he said, adding that the racial lines which had been invisible back then were now becoming more obvious.
“The racial divide is worsening, and it is not because of a lack of education. It is politicians who are responsible for such propaganda,” he said.
The Patriots organisation was set up as part of efforts to re-instil racial harmony, he added.
“This is how we want to help the communities today. We want to share our stories with them and tell them how it used to be. How the racial divide was not what it is today.”
Wong left the service in 1986. He is currently a researcher in the health industry, focusing on heart failure.
Patriot warns against inciting hatred and racial disharmony
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