The Story of Si Tora from Kuala Kangsar, Perak
Among the 12 original core members of the Special Service Regiment (RGK), now known as the Gerup Gerak Khas (GGK), was a military veteran known for being extremely serious in his profession.
His name was Staff Sergeant Mohamad Zakaria Abas, and he was better known by the nicknames 'Si Tora' or 'Singa Berantai' (Chained Lion) among his comrades during their time serving together.
The nickname given by his acquaintances stuck with him due to his fierce demeanor in maintaining the discipline of his subordinates.
Staff Sergeant Mohamad Zakaria Abas was highly respected by his men, despite being well-known for his sternness and ferocity. He was also highly skilled in precision shooting and agile in handling light weapons, earning him the moniker 'Tangan Besi' (Iron Hand).
Si Tora is regarded as a special individual by many military veterans, especially those who were once trained by him.
His prowess in using weapons was not limited to the battlefield; Staff Sergeant Mohamad Zakaria Abas also won various shooting competitions, including those between the military forces of Far Eastern nations.
Consequently, Staff Sergeant Mohamad Zakaria Abas was selected as one of the commando unit's snipers and subsequently qualified as an instructor in that field.
Staff Sergeant Mohamad Zakaria Abas hailed from Kampung Sayong Tebing in Kuala Kangsar. He was the son of a rubber tapper and began his military career on May 25, 1949.
He was assigned to the 4th Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment (4 RAMD) after completing his recruitment training. He faced many joys, sorrows, hardships, and challenges while conducting operations both domestically and abroad during his time with the 4th Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment (4 RAMD).
He was once caught in an encirclement by a neighboring country's military during the confrontation at Pelaman Mapu, Serian, in 1964, where he fought in three separate engagements while hunting communist terrorists.
One of these occurred in the 1950s at Kampung Lengkong, Jambu Rias in Pahang, when the team he led successfully killed a male enemy who was a subordinate of Musa Ahmad.
In 1959, Staff Sergeant Mohamad Zakaria Abas's team was ordered to track an enemy group led by Ibrahim Baba, a subordinate of Captain Abu Samah who had defected to the communists. The tracking ended in a fierce battle in the jungles of Kuala Krau, Temerloh, Pahang. Ibrahim Baba was not found during the pursuit, but a female terrorist was shot and killed.
Si Tora was deployed to the Congo in 1960 with the 4th Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment (4 RAMD) as part of the first troop of the Malayan Special Force (MSF) under the United Nations mission (ONUC), led by Lt. Col. Ungku Nazaruddin.
Si Tora and his team traveled there aboard a United States LST ship, sailing for 29 days without stopping. They departed from Singapore in early October and landed at the Port of Matadi on October 31, 1960.
Upon arriving in the Congo, his heart was often heavy with sorrow as he witnessed the majority of the local population living in famine and poverty.
They not only lacked food sources but also struggled to farm because the land was barren and parched from a lack of water. Staff Sergeant Mohamad Zakaria Abas served in the Congo for over a year and returned home after completing his service there.
In 1964, Si Tora's involvement with the commandos began when he was a Platoon Sergeant in 4 RAMD in Muar. During the unit's early formation around 1964/65, he participated in the selection process at Kem Majidee, Johor Bahru.
When Si Tora learned that the government intended to establish a commando unit, he and 22 of his subordinates immediately applied. At that time, he was 35 years old, married, and had three children.
In late November 1964, Staff Sergeant Mohamad Zakaria Abas reported to Kem Ulu Tiram, Johor, to undergo a two-month Basic Commando Course alongside 15 other members under the guidance of British 40 Commando instructors. In February 1965, the initial commando orientation session was held at Kem Majidee, Johor Bahru.
The training in the early stages was extremely challenging and merciless. It included 'death jumps,' survival training, and rowing and swimming across the Tebrau Strait at night.
There was also the log-carrying exercise, where they had to carry a log weighing over 40 kilograms for 1.6 kilometers through ravines, hills, and thickets, and had to finish within a few minutes without dropping the log.
If the log they were carrying fell, even if they were very close to the finish line, they had to start over from the beginning, despite being utterly exhausted.
An incident occurred where the log carried by Si Tora's group fell about 50 meters from the finish line, right in front of the head instructor, Major Bacon, who ordered them to start carrying the log from the beginning.
Frustrated and angry at Major Bacon's order, Si Tora suddenly lost his temper and carried the log back to the starting point all by himself.
Those who witnessed the scene were amazed by Si Tora's spirit, and Major Bacon eventually told him to stop carrying the log, even though he had already moved dozens of meters.
After much struggle, 12 out of the 15 who reported for duty successfully completed the course, including Si Tora. To complete their specialization, they were later sent for parachute training and a Jump Master Course in Batu Djajar, Bandung, Indonesia.
While in the commandos, one operation he could never forget was tracking a commander of the North Kalimantan Communist Party (PKKU) and his 13 followers at the Sarawak-Kalimantan border near Bau.
The commander was known as a cunning terrorist, especially since he had received basic commando training in Batu Djajar, Bandung. For two days, they tracked them with the help of a platoon from the Royal Ranger Regiment. Finally, after much effort, the enemy camp was discovered in the jungle, but unfortunately, they managed to escape.
