Police officers know that each time they put on their uniform, they are taking on risks to protect others.
– Mike Parson, American politician
We have heard of Malaya’s best known communist leader ‘Chin Peng’, but not much his long-forgotten comrade Koo Chong Kong.
Both were honoured by Great Britain and were among the 40 selected veterans who attended the London Victory Parade in the June 8, 1946, parade.
After the war, Chin Peng went on to lead a brutal communist war from 1948 to 1960 where 10,000 people lost their lives.
On the other hand, Koo a quiet ‘hero’ who also served in the MPAJA and British-led Force 136 special agents, fought against his ‘boss’ and paid the price when he was assassinated.
Like Chin Peng, Koo was born in China, but during the Sino-Japanese war had his first taste of communist violence when his capitalist family was exterminated by Chairman Mao’s army.
Koo’s biography entitled ‘Bright Legacy’ written by his grandchildren, tells the sad story of a noble Sarawak policeman.
Koo’s father was a prominent doctor whose family was mercilessly exterminated by the terrorists, leaving Koo and his brother to fend for themselves.
However, Koo’s uncle who was a Christian missionary, was able to rescue two of the siblings and escaped to Malaya.
Settling in Ipoh, Koo studied at the Anglo Chinese School but at 16 left to join the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) during the war.
In 1943, Koo joined the Malayan Peoples Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) and enlisted as an interpreter with the British-led Force 136 jungle fighters.
Koo’s eldest daughter Datin Rita Koo said in an interview that the communist friends tried to persuade him to join them, but he refused.
Instead, he helped the British and worked closely with High commissioner Sir Henry Gurney Koo and was a marked man.
Said Rita: “Several attempts were made on his life — a grenade thrown at him, he was hunted and chased all over town.”
He took a new name and even after he married, decided to move to Kuching — far across the South China Sea, where he was employed as a cinema manager.
In 1952, after the assassination of Henry Gurney at Fraser’s in Pahang, Koo decided to join the Sarawak constabulary.
Koo was sent for training at the Police Depot in Kuala Lumpur and the Jungle Warfare Far East Land Forces Training Course at Kota Tinggi before returning to Kuching as an inspector.
On April 21, 1953, Koo was assigned as chief instructor of the newly established all-Iban Sarawak Police Field Force (SPFF), comprising former Sarawak Rangers and Constabulary personnel.
Headed by former ‘Semut’ operative Supt Eric Edmeades Koo and ‘Z’ force veteran Sgt Chua Gin Teck, the SPFF would later team up the Royal Ranger regiment in another war against the North Kalimantan Communist Party (NKCP).
In 1955, Koo attended an officer’s course at Hendon College in England and on his return in early 1956, was promoted to the rank of ASP.
In the 1960s, he served in the Special Branch under its director of intelligence, Datuk Roy Henry before rising to become assistant commissioner of police in 1968.
After Henry left Sarawak in early 1967, Ipoh-born Datuk Seri J. G. Ritchie groomed his successor Tan Sri Hamdan Sirat in October 1969 and promoted Koo to become Sarawak’s deputy commissioner.
In January 1975, Koo was promoted to deputy commissioner of police and was posted to Perak as chief police officer.
But before leaving for Ipoh, fellow officer Tan Sri Yuen Yuet Leng warned Koo about the danger he faced.
Taiping-born Yuen who later rose to become Sarawak’s police commissioner in 1981, said in an interview: “I told Koo he was taking a big risk because the communists would not forget that he left them after the war.”
But duty called because Koo who had played a major role in the October 1973 Sri Aman Peace accord, was hand-picked to bring peace back to Perak.
At 12.30pm on November 13, 1975 — a day after his 50th birthday — Koo was assassinated.
Returning from his office in his chauffeur-driven car, two CTs on a motorcycle drew up to his vehicle and shot him at point blank range at the Jalan Fair Park-Jalan Ashby traffic lights junction.
Koo’s driver Sgt Yeong Peng Cheong reacted immediately, and a gunfight ensued.
Said Yuen: “After they shot Koo, Sgt Yeong chased the assassins and fired five rounds before he himself was mortally wounded and fell.
“The terrorists then walked up to Yeong, grabbed him by the hair, and shot him twice between the eyes.”
Later, justice was delivered when the assassins were identified, charged in court, and sentenced to death in March 1980.
Koo was posthumously awarded the title of ‘Tan Sri’ as leaders such as Tengku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak Hussein and Tun Hussein Onn praised Koo for being an exemplary officer.
Inspector General of Police Tun Haniff Omar who paid tribute to him said: “Tan Sri Koo was an exceptionally brave police officer.
“He had earlier been invited to be transferred to the peninsula but declined twice until, about a year ago, when he saw that we were having a very serious security problem in Perak.
Before his demise Koo wrote his own epitaph: “There are only toil, tears and sweat in any venture worthy of the supreme sacrifice; that I may leave behind an example and a tradition worthy of man and emulation by all ranks of the Royal Malaysia Police.”
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
