He served faithfully the nation as a soldier for 26 years, defending Malaysia against its enemies and communist insurgents.
He has since retired in 1998 as a Major in the Seventh (7th) Rangers (Mechanised) Battalion Regiment.(Click here to read more on the history of the 7th Ranger Battalion Regiment).
His name: Major (Ret)D.Swami Gwekanandam al David (3002553) - 1994-1998.
His wife's uncle is Sergeant Choo Woh Soon, who was awarded the Pingat Gagah Berani for bravery during Operation Seladang (Gaur) in Pahang in August 1959 (Read here for more)
Major Swami's daughter sat for her SPM exam in 2003 and scored 8 A's.
This is his story: (Read here for more)
"I have a daughter, I am very proud of. That is like, all the fathers the world over. She has a grand Uncle, who holds the Pingat Gagah Berani and a father, me, who served the country faithfully, leaving the service after 26 years.
My daughter did her SPM in 2003, where she obtained 8A's, she applied to all the Public Universities and asked for everything available, which was of interest to her.She got nothing......but she saw her friends with LOWER grades get ALL that were handed on a silver platter.
She was disheartened, I told her not to worry and that life was not a bed of roses.
She got over it with the support of her mum, her sibling, uncles, aunts, cousins and of course me.
She went into Form 6 for two years, you know the classes that equate Matriculation programs to it. Matriculation which is a one year sail through course, for you know those "special people", what I mean is not the handicapped ones which people normally equate with the word "special".
Well, in her second year of slogging through her Form 6, she saw mediocre former classmates getting into Universities pursuing medicine and other nice courses served on a platter, you know those "high merit achievers in Matriculation" who did the one year course culminating in a class assessment.
Well, she slogged and sat for her exam, whilst her "meritorious friends" were already first year University students.
Her results came in this year (2006) where she got, not all that wonderful results an A, a B+, a C+ and a C.
The people in power in our much vaunted higher academic selection committees decided that she was not good enough for what she had as first choice, second choice or whatever the choice, only the 8th choice!You see, most of the matriculation and SPM students had already filled up the choice niches in higher education.
The majority of STPM students being the "NOT so special people" end up with the left overs.
She failed to get the course of her choice, due to Malaysia's racially prejudiced policies, where merit does not count but the colour of your skin does.
Food and Community Nutrition, that was what she was offered. An amazing and wonderful opportunity to move up in life. Guess there may be more left overs, worst than that.
Those who did very well in their STPM and picked out all 8 choice courses would probably not have got them.
STPM is the toughest exam in the Malaysian Education System, period !
The stooges try and spin this through their propaganda mouthpiece...The Star.(*Placed in 7th Rangers Articles for posterity).The majority of them did not get their first choice.
Do not believe anything that the authorities tell you, telling about extra curricular activities, go check those students who went into Unis via matriculation they do not give a shit or rat's ass, all that is a load of crock about extra curricular activities.
Okay my daughter, I know this is boring you, she was active in Tae Kwan Do, she has the first dan, a black belt, participated in numerous competitions all over Malaysia, suffering numerous injuries.
She was the Malaysian Remaja gold medalist when younger. She represented the state of Perak for the SUKMA games in 2003, whilst Captaining the Perak State's Women Tae Kwan Do Team. If that is not extra curricular, I wonder what is ?
Here is at least some semblance of the truth.
Well, thank you for making my daugher who is still full of promises, despair for her future.
No amount of National Service would ever instill love for this country, when despair sets in the the hearts of promising young Malaysians.
I guess she will be going somewhere else....and I have to sell something.
Oh yes...this is what happens to all when meritrocracy is bastardised through matriculation.
The latest...Yearly, the pro-BN media publishes statistics of successful applicants into the ‘crucial courses’ of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering and law, broken down into bumiputeras, Chinese and Indians. These numbers are first of all, false. Read on to the source...
Well, finally she has passed out from the Global Chef Academy.
Currently she is employed in Singapore.
All of us did struggle.I would like to thank everyone who have contributed to her success whether directly or indirectly.
May god bless all of you.
The 7th Battalion Ranger Regiment
If any Malaysian ever wants to join a fighting unit, a good choice would be the Rangers.
The Rangers are unique in the sense that they have many races with different cultural values, when these diverse values come together they become a formidable fighting force.
The Rangers used to strike terror into the hearts of her enemies during the long fight against the Communist Insurgents.
They have served with valour and courage aganist the Indons and the Communists. Many have laid down their lives, with some maimed for life. Their motto, "AGI IDUP AGI NGELABAN", which means "While there is life there is fight". Their place of birth was Sarawak.
History of the 7th Ranger Regiment
The 7th Battalion Ranger Regiment was formed on the 10th of May 1970 at Camp Quetta 11, Kluang, Johore. The battalion shifted to a new camp at Camp Batu Tiga, Kluang Johore, with a allocation of 202 new recruits who were designated to form two compnies. The recruits were from the Recruit Training Centre, Port Dickson.
In addition to that one company each was taken from 8th Royal Malay, 2 Rangers, 3 Rangers and 4 Rangers, this was to enable 7 Rangers to be functional. The soldiers from the 8th battalion Royal Malay regiment were given an option to be absorbed into the Ranger Corps or return to their original unit. However a large group chose to remain with 7 Rangers.
The first Commanding Officer tasked to carry out this challenging task was Lieutenant Colonel Osman bin Mohd Zain. In early January 1991, 7th Rangers was designated and reorganized to become a Mechanized Infantry Battalion.
The officer tasked to do this was Lt Col Zulkapli bin Abdul Rahman who happened to be the twelfth CO of the Battalion.
In September 1993 the battalion became fully operational. It culminated with the Battalion being deployed on the 1st Dec 1994 to Somalia for duties under the United Nations. The Battalion took up duties under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter.
The 7th Rangers Regiment is OLDER/SENIOR than the Royal Malay Regiment .
The Rangers are more than a CENTURY OLD (143 years) :
1862 Sarawak Rangers
1932 Absorbed into Sarawak Constabulary
1941 Sarawak Rangers reformed as separate military unit
1942 Captured by Japanese and disbanded
1948 Iban trackers from Sarawak first employed by British in Malayan Emergency
1953 Sarawak Rangers re-formed as company from Iban trackers who had been serving with Iban Trackers
1960 Special Tracker Team
1963 Renjer Malaysia (Rangers Malaysia). Transferred from Sarawak Colony to Malaysian Army, and expanded into multi-battalion, multi-ethnic regiment
1965 The Malaysia Rangers
1971 Rejimen Renjer (The Ranger Regiment)
1992 Rejimen Renjer DiRaja (The Royal Ranger Regiment)
Seventh (7th) Rangers was located at the following places :
1. Camp Quetta 11, Kluang, Johore - 15 Jan 1970- 14 Jan 1971
2. Camp Lapangan Terbang, Sg. Petani, Kedah - 15th Jan 1971-06th March 1977
3. Camp Kanowit, Sarawak - 07 March 1977-25 Dec 1978
4. Camp Desa Pahlawan, Kota Bharu, Kelantan - 25 Dec 1978- 20 Dec 1984
5. Camp Simanggang, Sri Aman, Sarawak 28 Dec 1984 - 19 Oct 1988
6. Currently at Camp Batu Lima, Mentakab, Pahang 19 Oct 1988 - Now
7th Rangers Involvement in Operations.....
Lt Jagathisan's casket drapped in a Malaysian Flag
being prepared on board an aircraft to be flown back to Peninsular Malaysia.
(Photo courtesy of 7th Rangers Blog)
1. Ops Kota
a. Area : Klian Intan, Perak
b. Start/End : 26th Sep 1970-30 Dec 1970
c. Involvement : Bn Strength
d. Mission Search and Destroy
e. CO : Lt Col Hussein Ali Piah
f. Success : No enemy KIA
2. Ops Kota
a. Area : Klian Intan, Perak
b. Start/End : 28th May 1971-16th July 1971
c. Involvement : Bn Strength
d. Mission Search and Destroy
e. CO : Lt Col Hussein Ali Piah
f. Success : No enemy KIA
3. Ops Radak
a. Area : Kulim, Kedah
b. Start/End : 17th Sep 1971-05 Dec 1971
c. Involvement : 2 X Companies
d. Commander : Company Commanders
e. Success : No Enemy KIA
4. Ops Gerakan Khas ( This ops was launched after 15 of 7th Ranger's soldiers were ambushed and killed, three were wounded along the Lundu / Bau Road )
a. Area : Lundu, Sarawak
b. Start/End April 72
c. Involvement : Whole Bn
d. CO : Lt Col Hussein Ali Piah
e. Success : 3 Communists Terrorists killed
5. Ops Kg Opal
a. Area : Lundu, Sarawak
b. Start/End : Jul 72
c. Involvement : Whole Bn
d. CO : lt Col Hussein Ali Piah
e. Success : 1 Enemy KIA
6. Ops Kubang
a. Area : Lundu, Sarawak
b. Start/ End : Jul 72
c. Involvement : Whole Bn
d. CO : lt Col Hussein Ali Piah
e. Success : 2 Enemy killed and 1 wounded
7. Ops Lundu
a. Area : Lundu, Sarawak
b. Start/End : Aug-Sep 1972
c. Involvement : Whole Bn plus attachments
d. CO : Lt Col Hussein Ali Piah
e. Success : 1 Enemy KIA
8. Ops Setia 11
a. Area : Air Kalai, Kroh, Perak
b. Start/End : 16 March - 08 Jun 1973
c. Involvement : Whole Bn plus attachments
d. CO : Lt Col Hussein Ali Piah
e. Success : No Enemy killed
9. Ops Dayoi Musnah
a. Area : Kulim, Kedah
b. Start/End : 17 Sep - 27 Sep 1973
c. Involvement: Whole Bn plus attachments
d. CO : Lt Col Mukhtar bin Ismail
e. Success : No Enemy killed
10. Ops Setia 1V
a. Area : Sg. Siput, Perak
b. Start/End : 17 Nov 1973 - 10 Dec 1973
c. Involvement : Whole Bn
d. CO : Lt Col Mukhtar bin Ismail
e. Success : 1 Enemy KIA
Click here for more
RINGKASAN PERISTIWA-PERISTIWA SEDIH (Read here for more)
31. Walaupun berjaya membunuh beberapa PGK, namun ianya dilakukan dengan pengorbanan beberapa orang anggota. Bersampingan dengan sejarah yang harum, pasukan ini juga kehilangan beberapa perwira-perwira yang gugur di medan peperangan, tercedera akibat jerangkap samar,diserang hendap dan kejadian kemalangan jalan raya yang tersebut di bawah:
a. Kecelakaan dalam operasi.
Seorang anggota telah terkorban dalam pertempuran dan 19 orang cedera akibat jerangkap samar.
b. Serang Hendap Jalan Raya.
(1) Pada 26hb Mac 1972,seramai 15 orang anggota telah terbunuh semasa kenderaan yang mereka naiki diserang hendap oleh musuh dijalan Biawak, Lundu, Sarawak.
(2) Pada 7hb April 1975, seramai 6 orang anggota telah terkorban sementara 8 yang lain termasuk seorang pegawai cedera apabila kenderaan mereka telah diserang hendap oleh musuh di Gubir.
c. Kemalangan Jalanraya. Pada 2hb Septenber 1979, 4 orang anggota telah terkorban didalam satu kemalangan jalanraya di Batu 10 Kg Palok, Jalan Kuantan- Kemaman apabila kenderaan yang membawa mereka balik ke kawasan operasi di Kroh terlibat dengan kemalangan jalanraya.
d. Tragedi Di Sungai Batang Rejang. Pada 18 September 1977, LtM Jagathisan selaku pegawai Risik telah meninggal dunia akibat mati lemas di sungai Batang Rejang .
Serang Hendap DiJalan Gubir/Nong Gajah
32. Pada 7hb April 1975 jam 1640, platun Kompeni D, 7 Rejimen Renjer yang diketuai oleh LtM Syed Ikhmal Hashim telah bertolak dari Nong Gajah setelah selesai membuat serah menyerah kawasan operasi di Gubir kepada No 9 platun dari 13 AW. Merekamenaiki 3 kali 3 ton yang diiringi oleh satu kereta perisai dari B Skuadron 2 Peninjau menuju ke Gubir dan seterusnya balik ke pengkalan di Sungai Petani.
33. Cuaca pada hari tersebut mendung dan diikuti oleh hujan lebat. Susunan perjalanan kenderaan pada hari itu ialah Kereta Perisai dibelakang sekali. Kira-kira 15 minit perjalanan setibanya kenderaan pertama di GR 186800, semasa kenderaan ini menaiki permatang bukit, musuh telah membuka tembakan dari tiga penjuru. Sebiji peluru musuh M79 telah terkena bonet kenderaan pertama ini menyebabkan ia terus berhenti ditebing sebelah kanan jalanraya. Kereta kedua juga telah ditembak dan berhenti 25 ela dari kenderaan pertama. Dengan serentak, anggota-anggota telah membalas tembakan musuh termasuk dua biji bom tangan yang dilemparkan oleh ketua platun.
34. Waktu ini kereta yang ketiga telah berhenti 400 meter dibelakang dan terus memaklumkan kepada kereta perisai bahawa kereta dihadapan telah diserang hendap.Tanpa membuang masa kereta perisai ini terus maju kehadapan dan memasuki kawasan membunuh musuh dengan tujuan membantu tapi malangnya tembakan musuh dari sebelah kiri telah datang bertubi-tubi sehinggakan sebutir peluru musuh termasuk kedalam barrel senjata Bowing kereta perisai menyebabkan ia tidak boleh digunakan.
35. Melihat keadaan ini kereta perisai terus mara kehadapan untuk memanggil bantuan dari Gubir. Dalam masa itu juga, sebutir peluru M79 telah ditembak oleh musuh menyebabkan satu lubang menembusi ”iron plate” dibawah injinnya. Sementara ini anggota dari kedua buah kenderaan telah pun mengambil perlindungan disebelah kanan kedua-dua kenderaan. Anggota dari kenderaan ketiga telah mara kehadapan untuk memberi bantuan tapi dihalang dengan tembakan musuh disebelah kanan jalan.
36. Kejadian tembak menembak berlaku kira-kira 20 hingga 25 minit dan jam 1715 musuh telah berundur balik. Sementara ini berita pun telah disampaikan ke Gubir tentang serang hendap ini. Dua platun iaitu platun 11 Kompeni c, 13 RAW telah pun dikejarkan ketempat bantuan ini telah sampai akan tetapi musuh telah berundur kira-kira 45 minit.
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