By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, June 6: “My father, overall, is the most kind person,” Linda Nacha, 57, told reporters when met, her eyes misty with memories of his gentleness and support.
“He’s very kind, he’s very humble, he’s very supportive of us,” she added, her voice filled with love and admiration. “After our mother’s disease seven years ago, he has been our pillar.”
But behind his quiet demeanour and humble nature, lay the heart of a hero. Linda’s father, the late Cpl (Rtd) Etin Jam, had served his State and country with unwavering dedication, braving the perils of conflict and danger with unwavering resolve.
In a solemn gathering at the Kuching Civic Centre here today, family members, dignitaries, and members of the public are paying their final respects to the late Cpl (Rtd) Etin Jam, Sarawak’s last surviving recipient of the nation’s highest gallantry award, the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP).
Etin passed away on Tuesday (June 4) at the age of 83, after a battle with lung cancer.
As the final chapter of a remarkable life unfolds, individuals from all walks of life unite to pay their respects to a man whose valour and dedication have left an indelible mark on Sarawak’s history.
Linda, the eldest daughter of the late Etin, expressed gratitude to those who recognised her father’s contributions and those who came to pay their final respects.
Linda painted a portrait of her father as she reflected on his life, defining him by his dedication and sense of duty.
“He did his duty to the fullest,” she explained, her words resonating with the quiet strength of a man who lived his life with purpose and dedication.
She went on to say that her father did not attend school and thus did not have any academic qualifications.
The late Etin’s most notable act of valour occurred on April 29, 1972, when he and his unit were ambushed by communist insurgents while escorting explosives for the Public Works Department in the Jalan Oya area, Sibu.
Despite being heavily outnumbered, Etin and his comrades successfully defended their convoy, an act for which he was awarded the highest Malaysian honour on July 6, 1972.
“So I believe at that point of time, my father wasn’t looking for any glamour, awards and all those things, but he was just doing his job,” Linda shared, her words honouring the quiet bravery of a man who faced adversity with unwavering resolve.
“In times of such hardship, he knows that was his duty,” she said, her voice filled with both sadness and gratitude. “His duty was to safeguard the country against those invasions. So that was what he did.”
Among the dignitaries present at Kuching Civic Centre to pay their last respects to the late Etin were Sarawak’s Head of State (TYT) Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and his wife Toh Puan Fauziah Mohd Sanusi, Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar, Sarawak State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Food Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development (M-Ficord) Sarawak Minister Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department Datuk John Sikie Tayai, and Sarawak Minister for Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development (KPWK) Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah. — DayakDaily
