Link graphic for a KJB version Bible Verse that will be automatically updated when we update it from time to time
">


7th Rangers: Military rank confusion in partisan times By Commander (Rtd) S Thayaparan formerly of the Royal Malaysian Navy
 
Fighting Seventh
The Fighting Rangers
On War, Politics
and Burning Issues
Profile
Miscellaneous

Kaffirphobia
American Thinker
American
Newspapers Online

Arab News
Asia News
Asia Times
Assyrian News
BBC News
Breitbart News
British and
International
Newspapers Online

CAMERA
CBS News
City Journal
CNN
Christian Solidarity
International

Daily Caller
Daily Mail
DAP Malaysia
Dawn
Drudge Report
Dutch News
Faith Freedom
Ali Sina

Foreign Affairs
Forward
Fox News
Google News
Ground News
Guardian
Haaretz
Harakah Daily
English

Herald Malaysia
Hurriyet Turkey
History of Jihad
Independent
Indian Newspapers
Online

Inspire Magazine
IPOH Echo
International
Herald Tribune

Jerusalem Newswire
Jihad Watch
Local-
French News
In English)

London Times
Malaysiakini

Malaysian Insider
Malaysia
Centre for Policy
Initiatives

Free Malaysia Today
Malaysia Chronicle
Malaysia
-Sarawak Report

MEMRI TV
Middle East
Forum

Mission Network
News

MSNBC News
National Review
NEWSMAX
New York Post
New York Times
Nut Graph
Opinion Journal
Right Wing News
Spiegel
Star Online
Straits Times
Sun Malaysia
Sydney
Morning Herald

Telegraph
The Malay Mail
The Rebel Media
The Sun (UK)
Time
Times of India
Town Hall
US News
World Report

USA Today
VBS TV
Washington Post
Washington Times
World Net Daily
World
Watch Monitor

Yahoo News
Ynet News



No Atheists
In A Foxhole

Rudyard Kipling

" “When you're left wounded on
Afganistan's plains and

the women come out to cut up what remains,
Just roll to your rifle

and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur

" “We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”

“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.”
“Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace,
for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .”
“The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.

“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.
Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."

Proud To Have
Served With Warriors

Glorious
Malaysian Food
Foreign Bloggers + 1 Sarawakian
&
Other Stuff
Gaming

Major D Swami
WITH Lt Col Ivan Lee
Click Here

Lt Col Ivan Lee
you want him with
you in a firefight!!!!

Dying Warrior
xxxxxx
Condors-Infantry
Fighting Vehicles
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Camp
Bujang Senang
Click Here
xxxxxxxx
The A Team
Click Here
xxxxxxxx
Major General
Toh Choon Siang
Click here
Lieutenant General
Stephen Mundaw
Click Here
With His
Dying Breath
Killed in Battle
In Death
Last Thoughts
Before Battle
Whilst There Is
Life, There Is Fight

Not Done In Yet!!

Iban Trackers
XXXXXXXX
Facts On RoP
Hutang Negara
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Military rank confusion in partisan times By Commander (Rtd) S Thayaparan formerly of the Royal Malaysian Navy
Sunday, March 31, 2013



"There were many, many times thereafter that Don regretted having enlisted - but so has every man who ever volunteered for military service."  - Robert A Heinlein (Between Planets)

COMMENT The most tragic of duties an officer has is delivering the news of death to the next of kin. This is something I had to do one cold Penang dawn many years ago. Loved ones always know when you turn up at their doorstep. They always know.

My condolences go out to the families of those fallen commandos in Lahad Datu. There will be plenty of time and opportunity for politics to take its unhealthy hold on this matter during the campaign period of this election (and no doubt even I will participate) but for now, I would suggest a moment of reflection. The situation in Sabah is a question of chickens coming home to roost, but this is an issue for another article. Indeed, a gathering storm looms on the eastern seaboard of Sabah.

military malaysia army tentera 131106 paradeHowever, partisan politics is a never-ending war and the armed forces has unfortunately been dragged in this mess. The recent statement by Defence Ministry secretary-general Ismail Samad on the "serious concern" of the unauthorised use of military ranks by retired armed forces personnel without the approval the Armed Forces Council deserves a response.

For good measure, Ismail laces his admonishment with the threat of "appropriate actions" and "prohibited from doing so by the highest command in the MAF, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong". Included in the press statement of the ministry were the procedural details in which retired officers were allowed to use their ranks.

Now before I get into my own ideas and some others from retired service personnel as to why this matter has suddenly become a "serious concern", I would like to address a point made by the secretary-general.

Speaking to reporters, he said, ""If permitted by AFC, a retired officer could wear his rank while those who were dismissed from their services are not allowed to use their former ranks." This is a highly inappropriate statement coming from the Defence Ministry during these partisan times.

Overwhelmingly partisan


Of late, retired service personnel have not been reticent of either publicly voicing their support of the opposition or being critical of policy matters that they feel have been neglected or mishandled by the current Umno-led federal government.
NONEThe response from the military establishment has been overwhelming partisan. An example of this would be the Defence Forces chief and the three service chiefs lined up behind him accusing retired service personnel of being "treacherous" for raising concerns of the electoral process.

Another example would be the (now retired) Air Force chief who harangued service personnel to vote for the incumbent government and "not bite the hand that feeds them". He said this while in service.

In addition, let us not forget the ongoing controversy of the purchase of the Scorpene submarines and its operational capability that was justified with political Umno undertones by the current Navy chief, who saw fit to raise the spectre of re-colonisation.

The military establishment has been silent when former personnel have taken it upon themselves to defend Umno honour that includes the special privileges of the Malays as when the disgraceful butt dancers launched their provocative attacks against Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga.

The fact that the mainstream media chose to highlight these provocations spinning it as some kind of patriotic gesture by former service personnel mirrors the partisan spin of the alternative media which did nothing to enhance the reputation of the armed forces.

On the flip side, we are witness to the new phenomenon of retired service personnel making stands and in some cases taking sides in controversial issues. Retired service personnel in letters to the mainstream media or if they are ignored to the alternative media are articulating the concerns of ordinary citizens.
military tentera askar soldier malaysia 260307 wataniahRecently a former Army deputy chief (general), the former Air Force head of logistics (general), a former Navy head of support services (admiral) and a former general in the Kor Agama Angkatan Tentera (Kagat or Military Religious Corps) declared their support for Pakatan Rakyat at a press conference that was promoted in the propaganda organs of the alternative front but received scant coverage in mainstream Umno-BN mouthpieces.

With reference to the general of the Kagat, I understand that he is well-liked by the other ranks and was as popular as the late Ustaz Haji Saad, who was a ‘nazir agama' (akin to a regiment chaplain) of the Armed Forces, who happened to be a close confidant.

Now I and many other retired service personnel understand why this would be of serious concern to the Defence Ministry. The appearance of high-ranking former military officials endorsing Pakatan is potent propaganda for an alternative front routinely demonised by every branch of the government.

Soldiers have family and friends and although there is an ongoing controversy of military votes, sympathetic sentiments for the opposition could dilute whatever vote bank the current regime feels is the armed forces.

Unacceptable rhetoric


Whatever your opinion on the participation of retired service personnel in the arena of politics, Ismail's insinuation that there is a wave of retired armed forces personnel who use their ranks without approval without naming names is unacceptable rhetoric because its aim is to damage the credibility of those retired service personnel who voice their opinions against the establishment.

To imply that there are those using their ranks who were "dismissed from service", especially in these partisan times without citing examples, is disrespectful not to mention dishonourable to those of us who served our country and believe that our ranks carries with it a certain responsibility that does not end merely because we leave the service.

Readers may disagree with how retired service personnel choose to exercise these responsibilities and even the political allegiances of former armed forces servicemen but their credibility should only be questioned, especially when it comes to their ranks, with the most credible of evidence and certainly not in disingenuous manner of the Defence Ministry.

Are there retired armed forces personnel who were dismissed from service using their ranks? Most certainly and most retired service people will tell you this is mostly done for pecuniary advantage. The private and public sector is littered with men and women of "rank" who trawl through the system of patronage and rent-seeking to get their due.

And if these were the people the Defence Ministry was referring to, this should have been made clear in the press statement and the words of Ismail. On a personal note, the broad brush of the Defence Ministry too has tarred me.

Mixed in with queries of how this statement relates to my writing for Malaysiakini, I have received the usual hate email from DAP apparatchiks and Pakatan kool aid drinkers of how "Pakatan does not need toddy drinking bogus commanders" or similar invectives. I guess Umno-BN propaganda is useful even if you are an opposition supporter.

I suppose it will only get worse because in the works are articles about the Pakatan manifesto and race relations in this country post-2008 tsunami - the genesis of which was a conversation with a former senior officer in the Joint Intelligence Directorate.

However, Ismail's statement has given me the perfect opportunity to discuss in the next part of this article the concerns of Retired Armed Forces Officers (Rafoc) on the awarding of army rank (structures) to Rela (People's Volunteer Corps). Malaysiakini


S THAYAPARAN is Commander (rtd) - who has the permission of the AFC to use his rank - of the Royal Malaysian Navy.
posted by Major D Swami (Retired) @ 10:30 PM  
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home
 
ARCHIVES


Previous Post
Indian Soldiers
World War 1
Links To Rangers
Military Related Links


End of a Saracen
East Malaysian
Warriors
Blow Pipe
xxxx
xxxx
Lieutenant Colonel
Zulkapli Abdul Rahman
Click Here
Lieutenant Colonel
Harbhajan Singh
Click Here
Heads from the Land
of the Head Hunters
Heads
20 Harrowing Images
Vietnam War

Creme De La Creme-Click here

Killing Time
Before Deployment

Lt Col Idris Hassan
Royal Malay
Regiment
Click Here

Also Known as
General Half Track

Warriors
Dayak Warrior
Iban Tracker with
British Soldier

Showing the
British Trooper
what a jackfruit is!!

Iban Tracker

A British Trooper training
an Iban Tracker

Iban Tracker

Tracker explaining
to the British Soldier who
knows little about tracking

Iban Tracker
Explaining to the
British Trooper the meaning
of the marks on the leaf

Iban Tracker
Aussie admiring
Tracker's Tattoos

Lest We Forget Major Sabdin Ghani
Click Here
Captain Mohana Chandran
al Velayuthan (200402) SP
Ranger Bajau
ak Ladi PGB
Cpl Osman PGB

Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
Photobucket
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Advertistment
XXXXXXXX
Powered by

Free Blogger Templates

BLOGGER

google.com, pub-8423681730090065, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 <bgsound src="">