Brief Description of the Role Played by Royal Australian Army Engineers in Sabah during the Indonesian Confrontation of Malaysia

SNBS (Special Edition)

Brief Description of the Role Played by Royal Australian Army Engineers in Sabah during the Indonesian Confrontation of Malaysia (1)

The formation of Malaysia by Sabah, Sarawak, Singapore and Malaya in 1963 was strongly opposed by Indonesia under President Sukarno.

Indonesia instituted a diplomatic and military Confrontation of Malaysia ("Konfrontasi") in which included armed incursions by ground, sea and air.

Operations by Malaysian military and paramilitary forces, assisted by armed forces of Australia, Britain and New Zealand, countered Indonesian aggression and its intelligence and propaganda activities

Sabah's interior, with its poor communications, infrastructure and government services, was vulnerable to hostile Indonesian activities from across the border with Kalimantan.

Sabah's Chief Minister at the time, Dato Donald Stephens, was a key player in requesting the deployment of Australian Army Engineers to Sabah.

The Engineers' tasks were to construct an airfield near Kuamut River (completed as a priority) and an all-weather road from Keningau to Sepulot, which is near Pensiangan and the border with the Indonesian province of Kalimantan.

The first Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) unit arrived in Sabah in 1964.

The first main RAE camp was set up in Keningau (near the airfield) and road construction began with assistance from Sabah's Public Works Department (PWD).

Five RAE squadron groups, each of up to about 250 men, served in Sabah on six-monthly rotations (2).

They also employed local people, mainly Muruts, on tasks such as assistance with surveying the road alignment and with jungle clearing.

The RAE road led from Keningau (3) (a short distance across the Pegalan River) through Sook, Pandewan and Tampusison. However, when Konfrontasi ended in August 1966, all Australian Army units,including the RAE groups working on the road project, were withdrawn.

By then about 120 km of road had been constructed to a point about 15 km short of reaching Sepulot and the mountainous road sections past Sook were passable only by four-wheel-drive vehicles.

As part of its civic action program, RAE constructed the first, small public library in Keningau, and a classroom and playground in Pandewan (4).

Four Australian soldiers lost their lives during the road project

Australian soldiers enjoyed very friendly, warm and respectful relationship with local Sabahans, and RAE veterans remember their time in Sabah with great fondness.

Tomasz (Tom) Ciesniewski

Lieutenant Colonel RAE (Retired)

(Served on the road project in Sabah from November 1965 to June 1966 as Second Lieutenant in 21 Construction Squadron Group RAE) August 2016

1. Much More detailed information is contained in a book by Keningau historian Abednigo Chow titled Heritage and Legacy in the Interior Residency published in June 2016 by Opus Publications. The book can be purchased through https/www.nhpborneo.com/book/keningau

2. The units were:7Fd Sgn Gp; 1 Fd Sqa Gp; 24 Const Sqn Gp; 21 Const Sqn Gp, and 22 Const Sqn Gp

3. A military equipment kit Light Tactical Raft (L.TR) was constructed by 7 Fd Sqn Gp to use as a ferry across the Pegalan River. In August 2016 the reclaimed ferry ramp area, owned by the Foo family, became the site of a museum commemorating the RAE's role in Sabah during Konfrontasi. This was the initiative of Dr Agnes Foo whose father, Akut, often served as the Ferry Master. Many of sappers stayed at his home when the river was in flood. The home now houses RAE memorabilia from those days. Two recovered LTR pontoons and a memorial plaque are also installed at the site-Foo Akut Memorial Park. RAE veterans and their families are especially welcome

4. The present-day school maintains the plaque placed there by 21 Const Sqn Gp in 1966

Credit to : Tomasz (Tom) Ciesniewski, Rodney Bramich, Connie Lupang,Judith Bramich, Abednigo Chow, Azlan Mohd Jaffar, Kumis Kumis