By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Jan 23: The late Kuda Kandawang, a Sarawakian hero, passed away last Friday (Jan 17) without fulfilling his final wish to meet his old friend, Sarawak Governor (TYT) Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, with whom he had served in the police force.
His youngest daughter, 43-year-old Nancy Annie Kuda, shared that her late father had expressed a strong desire to reconnect with Wan Junaidi, with whom he had served in the Pasukan Polis Hutan (PPH), or Police Field Force (PFF), now known as the Pasukan Gerakan Am (PGA), or General Operations Force (GOF).
“During the appointment of Wan Junaidi as TYT, my late father often asked me to look for him because he wanted to meet his old police colleague from back in the day.
“They had lived and worked side by side during the communist insurgency in the 1970s, before Tun became a lawyer. He shared this story with me, and I deeply regret not being able to fulfil his wish,” she told DayakDaily.
Nancy added that she is currently trying to find ways to reach out to Tun to inform him of her father’s passing.
“Just letting him know about this would bring me a sense of relief, as long as Tun is aware,” she added.
The late Kuda passed away peacefully at his residence in Taman Banjaran Serapi on Jan 17, at 9.20am, at the age of 85, surrounded by his daughter Nancy, her husband and neighbours.
His remains were buried at Paradisium Cemetery, located at 13th Mile, Siburan, on January 20.
He left behind six children, five sons/daughters-in-law, 11 grandchildren, and two great-grandsons.
The late Kuda was a recipient of the Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara (PJPN) service medal, which was conferred to him by the then Minister of Home Affairs, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, during a ceremony at UCSI Hotel, Kuching, on July 29, 2019.
He was noted for his time on the police force, where he fought the communists at Tanjung Kunyit in Bintangor—referred to as ‘Binatang’ back then—in February 1972, where he was shot in the stomach.
Nancy, a Muslim convert, took care of her father in his final days. Despite their religious differences, Nancy made sure to assist her father in praying in the Christian way.
According to her, her father’s health deteriorated following the passing of his wife, Bibiana Jara Bana, in June 2023, due to cancer.
A week before he passed, Kuda had reduced his food intake and instructed Nancy and her husband to make preparations for his funeral, as if he knew his time was near.
He also left behind a lot of messages to Nancy within that same week, one of which was: “Ibun menua Sarawak enggau manah, enti ukai kitai sapa agi” (Take care of Sarawak properly, if not us, who else).
– DayakDaily
