KUCHING: Four paratroopers from the Special Airborne Squadron (PASKAU) of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) made an extraordinary and daring parachute jump from an altitude of 6,000 feet to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Operations Semut 1945 Parachute Landing at Padang Merdeka today.
The jump was executed from a CN235 aircraft piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Ahmad Syazwan Mohamed, with First Pilot Captain Fikri and Timekeeper Captain Syafiq.
The reenactment began with the jump of Air Warrant Officer I Mohd Shah Rizal Mohd Zahid, who carried the Malaysian flag, followed by Captain Sharurizal Sabri, who carried the Australian flag.
Next was Flight Sergeant Ahmad Riduan Nordin, carrying the Sarawak flag, and the final jumper, Corporal Muhammad Fikri Azizi Faizul, who carried the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) flag.
According to Major Mohd Hafiz Abdullah, with the call sign ‘Pet Eye’, who served as the commentator for this historic event, each jumper was in complete free-fall, surrendering to gravity at speeds of nearly 200 kilometres per hour.
Remaining in the air for about five minutes, the first jumper landed safely at 10.16 am, followed by the others at one-minute intervals, welcomed by thunderous applause from the audience.
The reenactment honoured an important historical event involving a special mission carried out by the Australian Special Unit during World War II in 1945.
Eighty years ago, a team of operatives parachuted into Bario to join the local community in their resistance against Japanese forces.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, who attended the event, praised the organisers for preserving the memory of this significant moment in history.
“I congratulate Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala, as well as the High Commissioners of Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, for successfully organising an event that highlights the history of World War II,” he said to reporters after the event.
He acknowledged the crucial role played by the security forces from these three nations in assisting local communities against the Japanese occupation.
“This is a history that we must remember, and as a result of the engagement between the local community and the security forces, it opened a new chapter, particularly in the Bario area and among the Kelabit community,” he added.
Abang Johari further emphasised that the legacy of these wartime engagements had a lasting impact on the region.
“As mentioned by Datuk Gerawat, schools were established, which certainly brought a new landscape and approach for the Bario community and Sarawak in the new era after World War II,” he said.
During the event, Abang Johari also received the Sarawak Ibu Pertiwi flag from the paratroopers, symbolising the spirit of unity and resilience carried forward from the historic mission.
