On March 29 1954, a small group of policemen, led by Sergeant Sagar Singh, fought bravely against a band of pirates from the Sulu Sea, during an invasion on their town, Semporna in Sabah.
Remembering the incident and their father's 70th death anniversary, Sergeant Singh's four children spoke about the dreadful day.
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Remembering the incident and their father's 70th death anniversary, Sergeant Singh's four children spoke about the dreadful day.
For more stories follow: SIKH Heritage Museum Malaysia facebook page.
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
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NewsTranscript
00:00March 29, 1954, an unforgettable day for the family members of the late Sgt. Sagar Singh.
00:15It was on this day that he and five others were killed by a band of pirates from the
00:20Sulu Sea in Semporna. Sgt. Singh was the commanding officer of the Semporna Police Station where
00:27he had been posted in 1952. He arrived in Sabah from India in the early 1930s to serve
00:34with the North Borneo Police Force. In 1942, he married a local woman, Filomena Mojimbun,
00:42and the couple had six children. Four of the children recalled the dreadful day they lost
00:47their father in an interview conducted two years ago in Kepayan.
00:52My name is Sergito, the son of Sgt. Sagar Singh. I am 78 years old.
01:00This is my father, Sgt. Sagar Singh, the head of the Semporna Police Station.
01:07This is my mother, Filomena. And this is my first child, Sergito, six years old.
01:14I was 11 years old when I was in the barracks with all my siblings.
01:23My father came home from work at 4.30pm.
01:28His friends came over to play football.
01:33There were gunshots. We thought the children were playing hide-and-seek.
01:44Sgt. Singh said 30 pirates on board cumpits, or speedboats, approached the customs jetty.
01:49Their first attack was on the police station. Sgt. Singh, together with Constable Bula,
01:54rushed back to the police barracks to alert all the families.
01:57I told my father to go back to the barracks. I told my mother to take care of the children.
02:05I told him not to disturb the children.
02:09Constable Bula stayed back at the barracks to take care of the women and children,
02:13while Sgt. Singh headed to the police station.
02:16A fierce battle ensued between the pirates, Sgt. Singh, Constable Suleiman, Jambuan and Gimur,
02:23who were on duty at the police station at the time.
02:26Realising they were running low on ammunition, Sgt. Singh rushed to the armoury, but the pirates shot him.
02:33Although wounded, he attempted again to get the ammunition.
02:37And this was when one of the pirates saw him, took his barong, or machete,
02:41and slashed Sgt. Singh on the stomach repeatedly.
02:45My father ran to get the weapon. He was about to take it.
02:51He was shot, and soon after he fell.
02:53The person who shot him was still there.
02:56He was still alive, but he cut his stomach.
02:59He died like that.
03:01He died while holding his stomach and his hand like that.
03:04He died like that.
03:05That evening, I was drinking, and I heard the sound of a bomb.
03:10I thought it was fireworks.
03:14But it was a gunshot.
03:16Suddenly, a policeman came in and ran to the village.
03:21He said, save me.
03:23The next day, he brought me back.
03:25He said, your father is dead.
03:27This is your mother.
03:28So, at the time of my mother's death, my father was already dead.
03:30After the attack on the police station, the pirates went on to rob shops.
03:35They robbed masks and money.
03:38After they robbed everything, they returned.
03:45The pirates held Semporna hostage for three terrifying hours
03:48and headed back to the sea at nightfall.
03:51Constable Gimoh and Constable Jambuan,
03:54British Forest Officer Thomas Bernard,
03:56Taylor Puncu and 12-year-old Abdul Manap Ganap
04:00were among six people killed in the pirate attack.
04:03Many were also wounded.
04:05Namo, Sergeant Singh's fifth child,
04:07said life was tough for their mother after their father's unfortunate death.
04:11My mom, actually, for her life, it is not very easy
04:18because she got six children to look after.
04:23So, my mother had to work, look for odd jobs.
04:29At the same time, she had to look after us.
04:32I must say I'm quite fortunate because after my father died,
04:39my big sisters, they all left early school.
04:44I feel very sorry for them because they didn't have a higher education.
04:49I feel very, very sorry because they have to help my mom.
04:52A monument has been built in Semporna
04:55in remembrance of those killed on the dreadful day.
04:59Sergeant Singh was awarded the Colonial Police Medal for Gallantry posthumously.
05:04On March 29 every year, his children and their families
05:08will congregate at the Gurdwara Sahibkota Kinabalu
05:11to have prayers in his memory.
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