Ielias Ibrahim
Encyclopedia
Ielias Ibrahim is a former Malaysian soldier
. He is notable for being the only soldier from Rejimen Askar Wataniah
to have been awarded the Panglima Gagah Berani
.
He first joined the army on 27 December 1976 at the age of 20 and was absorbed into 19 Platoon, D Company of 11 Rejimen Askar Wataniah
. His unit's primary duty was to man roadblocks and guard the construction of the East-West Highway through the town of Gerik
, Perak
.
On August 15, 1977 he was involved in a firefight which earned him the Panglima Gagah Berani
. His unit of 5 soldiers (including himself) was given the duty of transporting rations to another military post. On route they discovered a dead monkey on the pathway that they were using. Upon inspection it was decided that the monkey had been slaughtered. After discounting the possibility of an ambush, the unit moved forward only to be mowed down by enemy fire. One Lance Corporal Ahmad Zaki was shot in the thigh, with Pvt Abdul Halim and Pvt Tajudin both badly wounded with shots to the chest. Pvt Ielias managed to jump clear and landed in a bush of thorns which lacerated his outer cornea
.
The enemy, numbering around 30, had effectively surrounded them and were armed with automatic rifles including M16
's supplied by North Vietnam. Although they were in a position to destroy the unit, they chose to force the unit to surrender. One of the wounded soldiers, (either Pvt Halim or Tajudin) managed to get to his rifle and tried to continue the fight but the enemy effectively disabled him by wounding both of his arms and shoulders. Enemy fire continued to rain upon him until he smeared his face with his own blood. Lance Corporal Zaki, who was badly wounded, pleaded to his men to pull him to safety. He however, succumbed to his wounds as a result of blood loss.
Although the unit was effectively down to only Pvt Ielias, he did not waver and found cover behind a mound of termites nests, which are extremely hard and known to be able to withstand direct fire. He brought his FN FAL
into action, continuing the fight. The firefight lasted for about 7 hours, in which he fired only 5 shots, killing 3 enemies. Of his 5 shots, only one missed the target with one enemy being shot twice. Halted by the effective fire from Pvt Ielias, the enemy withdrew from the area once they detected military reinforcements arriving.
As a result of his actions, he was conferred with the Panglima Gagah Berani
on 29 August 1977 by Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Sultan Yahya Petra and with the Pingat Keberanian Handalan by Sultan Idris Al-Mutawakkil Alallahi Shah
, the sultan of Perak, on 12 December 1977.
By 1977, the threat from communist elements had subsided so his unit was disbanded and he was transferred to 9 Royal Ranger Regiment
. He retired from the Army in 1998 as a Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM).
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
. He is notable for being the only soldier from Rejimen Askar Wataniah
Rejimen Askar Wataniah
The Rejimen Askar Wataniah is the military reserve force of the Malaysian Army. An equivalent formation in the British Army would be the Territorial Army....
to have been awarded the Panglima Gagah Berani
Panglima Gagah Berani
The Panglima Gagah Berani is a medal given by the government of Malaysia. The name translates to "General of Bravery and Valor". It can be conferred posthumously. The award was created on 29 July 1960...
.
He first joined the army on 27 December 1976 at the age of 20 and was absorbed into 19 Platoon, D Company of 11 Rejimen Askar Wataniah
Rejimen Askar Wataniah
The Rejimen Askar Wataniah is the military reserve force of the Malaysian Army. An equivalent formation in the British Army would be the Territorial Army....
. His unit's primary duty was to man roadblocks and guard the construction of the East-West Highway through the town of Gerik
Gerik
Gerik is a district capital town of Hulu Perak district in Perak, Malaysia. The town is also known as Rest Town owing to its strategic location next to major highways of the country, East-West Highway....
, Perak
Perak
Perak , one of the 13 states of Malaysia, is the second largest state in the Peninsular Malaysia bordering Kedah and Yala Province of Thailand to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, Selangor the Strait of Malacca to the south and west.Perak means silver in Malay...
.
On August 15, 1977 he was involved in a firefight which earned him the Panglima Gagah Berani
Panglima Gagah Berani
The Panglima Gagah Berani is a medal given by the government of Malaysia. The name translates to "General of Bravery and Valor". It can be conferred posthumously. The award was created on 29 July 1960...
. His unit of 5 soldiers (including himself) was given the duty of transporting rations to another military post. On route they discovered a dead monkey on the pathway that they were using. Upon inspection it was decided that the monkey had been slaughtered. After discounting the possibility of an ambush, the unit moved forward only to be mowed down by enemy fire. One Lance Corporal Ahmad Zaki was shot in the thigh, with Pvt Abdul Halim and Pvt Tajudin both badly wounded with shots to the chest. Pvt Ielias managed to jump clear and landed in a bush of thorns which lacerated his outer cornea
Cornea
The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Together with the lens, the cornea refracts light, with the cornea accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power. In humans, the refractive power of the cornea is...
.
The enemy, numbering around 30, had effectively surrounded them and were armed with automatic rifles including M16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
's supplied by North Vietnam. Although they were in a position to destroy the unit, they chose to force the unit to surrender. One of the wounded soldiers, (either Pvt Halim or Tajudin) managed to get to his rifle and tried to continue the fight but the enemy effectively disabled him by wounding both of his arms and shoulders. Enemy fire continued to rain upon him until he smeared his face with his own blood. Lance Corporal Zaki, who was badly wounded, pleaded to his men to pull him to safety. He however, succumbed to his wounds as a result of blood loss.
Although the unit was effectively down to only Pvt Ielias, he did not waver and found cover behind a mound of termites nests, which are extremely hard and known to be able to withstand direct fire. He brought his FN FAL
FN FAL
The Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL is a self-loading, selective fire battle rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal . During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries, with the notable exception of the United States...
into action, continuing the fight. The firefight lasted for about 7 hours, in which he fired only 5 shots, killing 3 enemies. Of his 5 shots, only one missed the target with one enemy being shot twice. Halted by the effective fire from Pvt Ielias, the enemy withdrew from the area once they detected military reinforcements arriving.
As a result of his actions, he was conferred with the Panglima Gagah Berani
Panglima Gagah Berani
The Panglima Gagah Berani is a medal given by the government of Malaysia. The name translates to "General of Bravery and Valor". It can be conferred posthumously. The award was created on 29 July 1960...
on 29 August 1977 by Yang di-Pertuan Agong
Yang di-Pertuan Agong
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong is the head of state of Malaysia. The office was established in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence....
Sultan Yahya Petra and with the Pingat Keberanian Handalan by Sultan Idris Al-Mutawakkil Alallahi Shah
Idris Shah II of Perak
Sultan Idris Iskandar Shah II, CMG was the Sultan of the Malaysian state of Perak from 1963 until his death in 1984...
, the sultan of Perak, on 12 December 1977.
By 1977, the threat from communist elements had subsided so his unit was disbanded and he was transferred to 9 Royal Ranger Regiment
Royal Ranger Regiment
The Royal Ranger Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Malaysian Army. Although it is second in seniority to the Royal Malay Regiment , the RRD can trace its origins back to the mid 19th century and the establishment of The Sarawak Rangers, the peacekeeping force in the Sarawak region...
. He retired from the Army in 1998 as a Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM).