Courage and honour: Malaysia's first Chinese Leftenan Jeneral

The Star

As the country's first Chinese Leftenan Jeneral, Datuk Johnny Lim Eng Seng hopes his milestone achievement will be an inspiration for young Malaysians to consider a career in uniform.  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

Transcript

00:00I only say that there's no greater honour than to serve your countrymen and women in times of peace or at war.

00:08Because the camaraderie that we get, the experience that we get, can never be measured in monetary terms.

00:15It is a lifelong experience and the friendship that will forge during the younger days until now will remain.

00:22For Lieutenant General Datuk Johnny Lim Eng Seng, the past 41 years in the armed forces, specifically the army, have been more than a career.

00:32It has been a lifelong calling marked by courage, sacrifice and an unbreakable bond of brotherhood.

00:42The Commandant of the National Resilience College, NRC, spoke to Sunday Star and recalled his achievements as a proud milestone,

00:50not only for him, but for the military as a whole.

00:54It is a very noble profession. For me, it's very sacred.

00:58And I've gone through 41 years, and a lot of times I've been asked, if I was to be reborn again,

01:06I said I would not change my mind, I would still join the military.

01:09Born and raised in Melaka, the third of five siblings,

01:12Lim's journey began at St. Francis Institution before he joined the Royal Military College, RMC, in 1985.

01:20He later earned a coveted spot at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom,

01:27one of the world's most prestigious military training institutions.

01:31Commissioned into the Royal Ranger Regiment in December 1986,

01:35his decision to enlist was not without family debate.

01:38As the eldest son, my mother actually objected, it means to me joining the army.

01:45I always tell them that she silently prayed that I would change my mind.

01:49Because at that time, I think, I always say that we were still fighting the communist insurgency.

01:54And as the eldest son, you know, any mother will be very worried.

01:57But I think I persuaded her, and then my father and my grandfather who lived through the war.

02:04And then my grandfather served in the voluntary force.

02:07They said that if you join, you cannot turn back.

02:10You must join and serve well.

02:12And then I told my mother at that time, and then I said,

02:14don't worry, I'll look after myself.

02:16I make sure I come back.

02:18So she gave her blessings a little.

02:21Lim's first deployment was during the tail end of the communist insurgency.

02:26Umur saya masa itu baru 21 tahun.

02:29Saya sepatutnya pergi ke kursus Ketua Petun Infantry di Pulau Adar.

02:34Tapi tak sempat.

02:35Sebab saya masuk saja dua bulan,

02:37battalion kami diatur gerak di sempadan.

02:41Battalion kedua, Rejime Ranger ketika itu berpengkalan di KM Majidi, Jawa Baru.

02:45Kami ditugas satu battalion masuk, Op Taksin, kalau saya masih ingat.

02:50Satu battalion ditugaskan, Special Op untuk mencari kamp komunis,

02:55yang dinamakan kamp Flower Garden Camp.

02:58Satu battalion masuklah.

02:59Memang ada sektor-sektor, tetapi ketika itu di sempadan banyak booby trap.

03:05Mungkin rakyat tak tahu apa booby trap,

03:07tapi booby trap itu adalah sejenis bom yang telah diubah suai oleh pihak komunis.

03:12Di sepanjang jalan yang kami lalui, terdapat banyak booby trap.

03:17Tapi kami mempunyai BCT, booby trap clearing team.

03:21Derutra, dia buat CTT untuk kliarkan booby trap.

03:26Jadi lambat dan amat bahaya.

03:29Dan ketika itu juga kita kehilangan anggota.

03:32Itu salah satu peristiwa yang saya tak akan lupa.

03:36Dan banyak lagi, tapi salah satu yang paling pahit.

03:39Masa saya muda lagi.

03:41Over four decades, Lim served in nearly every major capacity an officer could hold.

03:47From platoon leader and company commander,

03:50to chief instructor at the Army Combat Training Centre, Pulada,

03:54director of studies at the Malaysian Institute of Defense and Security,

03:58and brigade commander in Sarawak.

04:00In 2017, he was promoted to brigadier general,

04:04followed by major general,

04:06and then, in a historic moment for the armed forces,

04:10Lim became the first Chinese to reach the rank of lieutenant general in the army earlier this year.

04:14When they came up with a press statement,

04:18the first Chinese lieutenant general,

04:19it's true.

04:20In 92 years or 68 years history,

04:22the army, they had no three-star general.

04:24Three-star is a lieutenant general.

04:25But if you talk about non-Muslims,

04:27you've got a lieutenant general Stevenson,

04:31Steven Mundao, Iban, India.

04:33Their navy are the by-admiral,

04:35Aristan, Ganesh.

04:38But the aim of the armed forces to highlight a Chinese

04:42is to show that I've reached the pinnacle

04:45because I've been a general since 2017.

04:50One-star.

04:51Then I became a brigadier,

04:52when I went to the mill,

04:53then I became a two-star.

04:54I've been a two-star for three years.

04:57And of course, I'm qualified to be a three-star

04:58because I went through all the courses and merits.

05:02If I did, you see all my records,

05:04like all the records which I did and all that,

05:06and the experience.

05:07So of course, they gave me a third star.

05:09And also to highlight that if you work hard,

05:13you can succeed.

05:14So, and I think it's very important

05:17because the defense and security of the country

05:19is belong to all races.

05:23Belong to everybody.

05:25That's why we have the national security policy.

05:27And below that is the national defense policy,

05:31the white paper.

05:32And if you see the white paper,

05:33there's the term called VORGOS,

05:35whole of government, whole of society.

05:37Because the present society do not know

05:39what we went through.

05:41Our society has lived through peace.

05:43Of course, Lattu was a skirmish.

05:46But, you know, they have to know the roles.

05:49Everybody plays a role.

05:51I feel very proud.

05:52Initially, I didn't want to believe it.

05:55Of course, everybody wants promotion, right?

05:58But to me, when I got my one-star

05:59Brigade German, way back in 2017,

06:02wow, there was already a Brigade Commander.

06:04Lim married Gloria Nu'u,

06:06a Sarawakian bank officer in 1993.

06:10Together, they had a son, Neville, now 31,

06:13who pursued a career as a chef

06:15rather than following in his father's military footsteps.

06:19Two years ago, Gloria passed away

06:21after suffering two strokes.

06:23Now nearing retirement,

06:25Lim plans to spend more time with family and friends

06:27while continuing to contribute to the nation

06:29through talks on leadership and integrity.

06:33I'm looking forward to, actually,

06:35they say fade away.

06:37The soldiers, they say they never retire.

06:39They fade away.

06:40So next year, I'm hoping,

06:42after dying doing 41 years,

06:44I think it's time to take another chapter.

06:48And especially when I lost my wife, right?

06:50I think I want to travel and see my friends.

06:53So it's a different chapter.

06:54And I hope my son will do well in his career,

06:58get married, so.

06:58And I earn it.

06:59I say, I wouldn't change it.

07:02And as you see, you run into the sunset.

07:04And that is why when my wife passed away also,

07:07Tu Nashi Mali, who was my father figure,

07:09also called me and said,

07:10Donnie, your wife's mission is accomplished.

07:14You must move on.

07:15You know, there are many other things.

07:17There will always be a beacon of light

07:19in the darkest hour.

07:21And he's quite right.

07:22I got promoted to a three star.

07:24And I think it's like a blessing from the heavens.

07:26I know she's very happy.

07:29So near the end.

07:30Yeah.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended