In fact, he was among the many young men who signed up as members of the Royal Malay Regiment (RAMD) after Independence when the country was still flushing out communist remnants.
Relating his experience in serving the country under the RAMD from 1958 to 1978, Abidin, now 80, said the efforts to maintain Independence for the country were equally hard as the efforts to obtain it.
“One of my unforgettable experiences was during the operation to combat communist guerrillas in Gubir, Kedah. A total of 30 RAMD members including myself were deployed for the operation. Little did we know that the guerrillas were ready for us, they had even set up booby traps to foil our operation.
“Two of my comrades were injured by those booby traps and were rushed to hospital. I was lucky to have escaped unhurt,” the veteran told Bernama.
Nevertheless, Abidin said certain operations had indeed claimed the lives of his comrades.
“I can still remember the harrowing experience during the Malaysia-Indonesia Confrontation in 1963, in which the RAMD members were involved in a shootout with the Indonesian army.
“Six of my comrades were killed in front of my eyes during the shootout,” said the veteran who retired as Warrant Officer in 1979.
For his service and participation in the peacekeeping mission in Congo from 1960 to 1963, Abidin was conferred the Loyal Service Medal by the United Nations, as well as the Pingat Pangkuan Negara (PPN) medal.
In conjunction with the 59th National Day celebrations today, the veteran expressed hope that Malaysia would continue to progress and prosper for the benefit of future generations.
At the same time, he said the young generation should not take everything for granted, but observe, appreciate and strive to maintain the country’s Independence that they enjoyed today.