― Hussaini Abdul Karim
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 04, 2013
MARCH 4 ― Based on the reports and images as shown in our mainstream newspapers on the standoff between our troops and the armed Sulu group at Kampong Tanduo, many things seem to be wrong.
Firstly, while there are some members of the troops who were seen to be donning bullet-proof vests, none were wearing helmets. Some were seen wearing long-sleeved tee-shirts and standard ‘soft’ headgear, bandanas and some were not even wearing any headgear at all, especially the members of the VAT 69. Many were also seen not wearing bullet-proof vests. This is most surprising and wrong.
We are not cowboys on horses fighting against Red Indians armed with arrows, spears and axes!
Malaysian soldiers guarding the area were, however, seen wearing helmets and bullet-proof vests.
Mind you, unprotected bodies and unprotected heads aren’t bullet proof!
Secondly, there doesn’t seem to be any trenches and bunkers with sandbags to protect troops who are keeping watch and who came into contact with the enemy, resulting in eight already dead. Soldiers taking defensive positions must be dug in, whether in bunkers or trenches. They should not be taking up positions where they can be seen and shot at.
What I wrote above is basic modern warfare tactics, and in the standoff at Semporna, even these basics are not followed.
I was a soldier before and I do know something about basic modern warfare tactics.
After 20 days, our troops, based on land and air reconnaissance, would have known every inch of the ground where the militants are stationed. They would know every detail including the number and the various types of weapons the enemy carry and how they are positioned. This would allow our troops to prepare for a proper defence or even an attack.
Knowing that some members of the militant group (the enemy) are armed with SLRs using 7.62mm bullets and 81mm mortars, these can be deadly. Even a hit on the arm from as far as 600m, because of its sheer power, can kill. This is very much unlike the bullets used by our troops, which are the 5.56mm type where sometimes even a direct hit to the body may only injure and are not strong enough to kill. If I were the commander on the ground, I wouldn’t want to position my troops to be anywhere nearer than 200m of the enemy.
The Malaysian troops, police and the army, with our strength and superiority in the number of men, equipment and logistics support, would probably have soldiers from the infantry, mechanised infantry, paratroopers, commandos regiment, artillery regiment, armoured corp, engineers corp, etc. plus the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) and the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), all by now should be fully ready.
Strafing from the air, harassing fire using high explosive (HE) ammunition from mortars, the light and even the medium guns of the artillery regiment should have been carried out already.
The tanks, mortar and the Royal Malaysian Artillery Regiment gun positions, tanks from the Royal Malaysian Armoured Corp and the APCs would already have been deployed and be in place by now, all ready to launch and support an offensive.
At this stage of the operations, our leaders should not start pointing fingers at anyone, they must look for the right, proper and most effective and quickest solution to end the Semporna standoff and also, to minimise lives lost on either side.
Another thing that surprises me is the report on the latest landings of about 10 men in military gear sighted in Kunak, following the killing of six policemen and six intruders in a gun battle at the Simunul water village in Semporna on Saturday night. Why is this happening, aren’t our Intelligence Unit doing their job and don’t they by now already have a full and accurate assessment of the threat?
I thought with the ground, air and sea surveillance, by now, a cordon, maybe up to three layers, would have been organised by both the police and the military and all the confirmed and possible entrance and exit points would have already been blocked and guarded leaving no chance for the enemy to escape at all.
We have lost eight men, how many more lives must be lost before our troops would launch an attack?
For a battle of such a size, which is not a very big battle, losing eight men is already considered a huge loss!
I am surprised that even after 20 days, our troops are still on the defensive. When are they going to launch an attack which by right should have taken place a long time ago already?
* Captain Hussaini Abdul Karim (Rtd) reads The Malaysian Insider
Najib is proud to announce bombing has begun.
The real war has just started.
///Mind you, unprotected bodies and unprotected heads aren’t bullet proof!///
But with umno you are as good as bullet proof, if not better.
So ppl, pls remember to support umno!
///Another thing that surprises me is the report on the latest landings of about 10 men in military gear sighted in Kunak, following the killing of six policemen and six intruders in a gun battle at the Simunul water village in Semporna on Saturday night. Why is this happening…///
Come on. Dont we all know? Begining with monsterO’mamak (or even earlier but escalated during monster’s time) everyone in umno kept all their eyes tightly shut to allow unhindered entry by illegal filipinos and indons. This is so that they can be baked into new bumiputras who would then vote umno. The path into the country is so well travelled that their entry is now almost unstoppable.
We are using psy-warfare…..one look at Hisham’s angry keris waving antics and they will be off!
Sabah’s problems do not present an easy victory….a massive overkill will trigger off even more retaliation in Sabah.
However, I agree with one point…..even after the intrusion weeks ago, people can still enter so easily….obviously submarines are not much use for people in speed-boats.
Here is a broader solution to the Sabah conundrum….
http://malaysiawatch4.blogspot.com/2013/03/malaysiakini-and-pandoras-box-in-sabah.html
Why PM sent the police and not the army? Why delayed until so many police sacrificed? Why our immigration didn’t stop someone to enter country without passport? and deported the activists and senator so efficiently? Why UMNO politicized the situation? Why? why? why? why???????
When this is over, Najib is going to praise our troops as heros say only UMNO/BN is able to protect Sabahan and Malaysian and if the opposition criticize, they criticize our troops and the fallen..
Trying to white wash the obvious culprit of Project IC, corruption of arms deals, preoccupation of our police heads with politics rather than their real duties etc is obviously not going to work but will not stop them..
The one thing I keep wondering is how successful it can be to convince the arm forces the fallen really is about the corruption of arms deal.
It looks like they are playing police and thief. Then why use Air Asia?
Hv RMAF found d missing engine?
How many military planes, tanks, submarines, etc are in functional/operational condition?
Mayb d military stores contain lots of super-expensive instant noodles but few bullet-proof vests
Come on, armies/ soldiers at wars never wear bullet-proof vests. They even torn down terrorists or Militants without bullet-proof vests! Thus, ONLY Bolehland needs to wear bullet-proof vests when at wars or to confront Militants? For example, Iranian navies rescued hijacked China merchant ship at Somali Sea with heavy pirates without bullet-proof vests on… South Korea commodes torn down bus hostages without any bullet-proof vests. The endless list is on…
After all, Bolehland can’t afford to provide bullet-proof vests to every policeman at this confrontation probably because financial reasons. Most of tax payers’ monies have been siphoned out over decades. Where left behind to protect our uniformed men and women at front lines?
The main question is, “Why those intruders landed in Bolehland easily without any detection from Bolehland navies and Coast Guards? It seems like bunch of incompetent uniformed men and women at sea! Perhaps, they deliberately shut their eyes as to trade “election votes” with “citizenship” so that those UMNO/ BN suckers can stay in powers forever!!!
“Why are our troops still on the defensive?”
Mayb NR n UmnoB/BN waiting 4 advice fr APCO Worldwide n Joshua Trevino
Who benefits most in dis standoff?
Certainly it’s Air Asia – good publicity FOC
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/army-attacks-filipino-intruders-explosions-heard/
In addition to its tagline ‘Now Everyone Can Fly’, there is ‘Now Everyone Can Fly To War’ or ‘Fly Me To The Battleground’
Well, what is it now KRIS N HIS COUSIN has to say when eight (8) of Malaysian lifes being lost. Initially, he was giving assurances that ALL IS UNDER CONTROL ! These policemen life should not have been lost this manner, is in our own place and they already been warned these invaders ARE ARMED HEAVILY ! THESE POLICEMEN ARE MALAYSIAN FIRST AND THEIR LIFES ARE ALSO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT – Umno/bn- KRIS & COUSIN. !!!
Wow! It seems we have made some serious tactical errors! We are now only facing a small ragtag band of armed intruders and we are in such disarray. Luckily there is zero likelihood of us being invaded by another country. I wrote this not to belittle our security personnel but to show concern. Should there be any onslaught on the enemy’s position, the first priority must be to reduce our casualty.
We are using psy-warfare…..one look at Hisham’s angry face and they will be off!
Sabah’s problems do not present an easy victory….a massive overkill will trigger off even more retaliation in Sabah.
However, I agree with one point…..even after the intrusion weeks ago, people can still enter so easily….obviously submarines are not much use for people in speed-boats.
Here is a broader solution to the Sabah conundrum….
http://malaysiawatch4.blogspot.com/2013/03/malaysiakini-and-pandoras-box-in-sabah.html
testing moderator’s capacity…..4 hours to moderate?
This Captain is real! I love him very much.
These are enemies of the nation, regardless who their father is, what religions are they, would their offspring not vote BN ….
They challenged the sovereignty of my country, they killed 8 Malaysians, for that, go offensive!.
This country is not ready for anything.
Let alone an emergency such as this.
The “leaders” are too busy with other matters closer to their “hearts”!
So finally, Malaysia Army is in action, why take so long?
From the start the matter should be handled by army NOT police ! police NOT trained to deal with these Sulu rascals !
Salute to the fallen eight !