Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa

The Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa ('Gallant Warrior" or Warrior of Extreme Valour) is the highest federal award which can be presented in Malaysia. It was created on 29 July 1960 and was gazetted on 11 August 1969.

It is not limited to members of the armed forces. It is the highest Armed Forces Gallantry Award and highest in the order of precedence in the Armed Forces Decorations and Awards. It is the highest award in the Federal Ranking of Awards therefore outranking the awards which carry the title of Datuk and Tan Sri. The award does not carry any title and is not listed in the Federal Order of Importance.

The award carries a memorial allowance of RM400 a month. A deceased recipient may be awarded in which case his next of kin receives a lump-sum payment of RM30,000.

The award is the highest ranking in the list of the Malaysian Federal Ranking of Awards, and is ranked higher than the Darjah Kerabat Diraja Malaysia (D.K.M.) awarded to Malaysian Royalty.

The award is in the form of a silver medal which has the shape of a crescent moon with the inscription "Gagah Perkasa." Within the arch of the moon is inscribed the fourteen-pointed star. It is carried on a yellow ribbon 1.5 inches wide with red stripes 1/8 inches wide.

List of recipients and their citations

* Warrant Officer 2 Lenggu anak China 1971

:Even though the enemy outnumbered the Security Forces, and having managed to destroy the forward boat, the fighting spirit of Warrant Officer 2 Lenggu anak China was not affected. In fact, it had the opposite effect. With determination and a very high spirit, in the highest traditions of the Ranger Corps, he launched a determined assault single handedly against the enemy. He managed to kill 4 of the enemy. In this action, Warrant Officer Lenggu anak China fell beside the enemy he had killed.

* Supt Paul Kiong

:Kiong was an Inspector with the Special Branch in Ipoh. In 1981, he was part of several operations to cripple communist activities during the communist insurgency between 1966 and 1989. This involved infiltrating the organisation, operating in the jungle, capturing the terrorists alive as well as being involved in direct confrontations with them. He was conferred the SP on June 1, 1983. Kiong was also awarded Perak's highest bravery award in 1988 for three other operations. He retired as a Superintendent of Police in 1997.

* Deputy Superintendent Sia Boon Chee

:Sia was an Inspector with the Special Branch in Ipoh and was part of the same operations to fight the communist threat. These operations required him to gather intelligence by infiltrating enemy lines, operating in thick jungle, capturing terrorists alive and engaging them in direct battle. He was awarded the SP on June 1, 1983. He retired with the rank of DSP in 1994. He read law the following year and is currently a practicing lawyer.

* Captain Mohana Chandran al Velayuthan (alternate spellings: Mohana, Velaythan, Mohanachandran Velayutham)

:Captain Chandran was posthumously awarded the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkas on 3 June 1971. Leading a unit of ten men of the 4th Battalion Royal Rangers on a reconnaissance mission in the vicinity of the Ulu Kinta forest (Perak), he happened upon a group of communist insurgents numbering approximately 40 men. This occurred on the tenth day of their mission and 4 hours after they had located the first enemy tracks. Coming under murderous fire after detection by an enemy sentry Captain Chandran rallied his squad and advanced on the enemy. The encounter with the well-entrenched enemy led to the death of Captain Chandran at the age of 27 and he was posthumously awarded the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa.

:Captain Chandran was an alumnus of Royal Military College. He was from the 1963-1964 batch. Attached to Alpha company and remembered by his batchmate as V.M. Chandran and later in the army as Ray Chandran.

* Warrant Officer 1 (901738) Kanang anak Langkau

:Kanang anak Langkau of Simanggang, Sarawak was a Malaysian Ranger from the 8th Battalion Royal Rangers (now known as the 8th Paras) is the first and only living recipient of both the "Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa" and the "Pingat Gagah Berani." He is the first and only person thus far to have received two gallantry awards in the Malaysian Armed forces.

:He joined the service with the Sarawak Rangers as an Iban Tracker on the 21 April 1962. He was absorbed into the Malaysian Rangers when Malaysia was proclaimed on the 16 September 1963. He retired as a Warrant Officer 1 after 21 years in the service.

:Following the death of one soldier in the Tanah Hitam area of Perak in enagagement with communists on the 8th February 1980 the Unit Combat Intelligence Squad (UCIS) of 8th Battalion Royal Rangers under the leadership of Kanang anak Langkau was tasked to seek and destroy the group. They tracked the enemy over 11 days on terrain familiar to the enemy. On the evening 19th February 1980 at around 1500 hours his platoon managed to estimate the location of the enemy, who were close by.

:Unfortunately, Kanang's group was mistaken as they were already within the enemy's perimeter, which they realised when they found a communications cord connecting the sentry outpost to the main force. The cord was usually connected to a bush or empty cans so that a sentry could use it to alert the main force of intruders.

:Kanang, 8 metres from the enemy sentry position, launched an attack to his right flank. It then became apparent that the main force lay to the left. They assaulted the left and routed the enemy taking one casualty and killing five communists. One soldier was seriously wounded and Kanang himself took three rounds but survived and eventually returned to active duty. Kanang anak Langkau was conferred the "Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa" for valour in decimating the enemy on 3 June 1981.

* DSP Abd Razak bin Mohd Yusoff

* Velu Rajavelu

* Gean Kartar Singh

* Ngalinuh Bala, at Kilah Atu

* Etin Bijam

* Reggie anak Deli

* Nuing anak Saling

* Saimon Tarikat

* Yeap Sean Hua

* Fong Thean Kit

* Chin Chin Kong

*Jalil Ibrahim - Civilian (an alum of Royal Military College, Year 1964-65, Hotel Company)

:Not many remember the bespectacled former student of the Royal Military College who was killed in Hong Kong in July 1983 while investigating a case involving the fraudulent award of RM2.5 billion (then) in loans by Bumiputra Finance Berhad to the Carrian Group helmed by Malaysian businessman George Tan.

:He was killed by another Malaysian, Mak Foon Than.

:The case received wide coverage as the names of several Malaysian politicians were dragged in. The Carrian group's spectacular collapse the same year was also to become Hong Kong's largest bankruptcy.

:To date, he is the only civilian to receive the award.

* Mat Aznan Awang - killed in action during the Battle of Mogadishu under the United Nations' banner.