VAT 69 commando reflects on lost comrades in Lahad Datu mission

April 3, 2023

KUALA LUMPUR: It has been a decade since the tragic event in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu, Sabah, but the memories of Corporal Mohd Qaiyum A’iqal Zolkipli, a member of the elite VAT 69 commando unit, still haunt him.

He was one of the soldiers involved in the “Op Daulat” mission against the Sulu terrorists in early 2013, which resulted in the loss of two of his comrades, ASP Zulkifli Mamat and Sergeant Sabaruddin Daud.

“When I found out that the two comrades in arms were gone, I became angry and furious with the Sulu terrorists,” said Mohd Qaiyum A’iqal, who was also wounded on his right shoulder during the battle.

He shared that Zulkifli was his close friend, and they both had a passion for high-powered motorcycles.

“My memories of him are still fresh in my mind, and one of them is the day before we left for Sabah at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

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“He made a promise to come back (after the mission) together with me, and then hugged me.

“We boarded the same flight, and while on board, our conversation was about high-powered motorcycles,” he said when met by Bernama recently.

“Zulkifli’s voice echoed in my mind, the conversation we had when we were together,” he added.

Recalling his involvement in Op Daulat, Mohd Qaiyum A’iqal said it was his first mission after completing the special commando training, and it was a daunting task, given the stakes involved.

“It was a big operation as it involved the country’s security and sovereignty,” he said, adding that he was a tracker during the mission, tasked with finding out the number and strength of the enemy, as well as their weapons, fortress, and position.

In February 2013, the nation was rocked by news of an intrusion by Sulu armed terrorists who had entered Malaysian waters in stages at Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu.

On March 1, 2013, a shootout occurred in Kampung Tanduo, in which 10 Malaysian security personnel and 68 Sulu terrorists were killed. The conflict was declared over on April 10, 2013. — BERNAMA