THE recipient of the country's highest gallantry award, Seri Pahlawan Gajah Perkasa, was driven to author his memoir, "The Communist Role I Played: Undercover During the 2nd Malayan Emergency (1968–1989)," to motivate the young.
"I pondered for the longest time about recalling my exploits, but after reading about some of the issues the young face, I felt driven to write about my experiences,” said Datuk Paul Kiong.
Kiong said some police officers ate snakes and rats while in an undercover operation in a communist infantry unit in the Perak jungles during the 1970s.
And like his communist comrades, Kiong also forced himself to eat such exotic food to reflect that he was "one with them," despite his deep cover operative role.
"Sacrifice was the order of the day, and the security forces who repelled the second communist wave did just that," said Kiong in his book.
His message to the young is that sacrifices must be made in the present challenging times.
At 81, Kiong, who would mark his 82nd birthday soon, said that he is concerned over the social ills confronting the young today.
Tales of rampant bullying, cybercrime and disrespecting elders drove Kiong to recall that the price of victory must come with sacrifice.
The Ipoh-born warrior wants the youth to study much harder and continue to strive despite the hardships they may need to endure.
The St Xavier's Institution alumnus was also grateful that his Catholic faith kept him on good stead, especially when he needed to hide his religious convictions among the communists.
"Every generation has its own battles to meet. We do it with courage and an understanding that only through goodness can we overcome the evil out there."
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Kiong served in the Special Branch units, which infiltrated the communist platoons and battalions in the key battleground state of Perak with one goal: to glean concrete intelligence.
"I was the Grab operator - funnelling and smuggling food and whatever provisions that the fighters wanted. Their ideology was strong and stiff. They refused to surrender even when surrounded."
During the six years he spent living undercover among the insurgents in the area of Grik (Perak), Kedah and Kelantan, he was instrumental in yielding the surrender of 43 communist fighters without firing a shot.
His main operations led to the surrender and capture of the fifth assault unit of the Communist Party of Malaya - it was an elite unit instrumental in many killings and terrorising of farmers and settlers.
Kiong's strategic brilliance and covert operations led to him being awarded the nation's highest bravery award - the Seri Pahlawan Gajah Perkasa in 1983. – October 22, 2026