Medals and Honour

Kanang has provided services can be classified as the best, because of that during his lifetime, he had receive many medal to commorate his service. The medals is from Malaysian's Government and Sarawak State Governement.

Military honours and awards

•  Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (SP) (Supreme Gallantry Award)
•  Panglima Gagah Berani (PGB) (Star of the Commander of Valour)
•  Pingat Perkhidmatan Am (PPA) (Federation General Service Medal)
•  Pingat Perkhidmatan Setia (Federation Loyal Service Medal)
•  Pingat Jasa Malaysia (Malaysia Service Medal)
•  General Service Medal (1918) (United Kingdom) with "Brunei" clasp (for the participation in Brunei Revolt)
• General Service Medal (1962) (United Kingdom) with "Borneo" clasp (for the participation in Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation)

State honours and awards

•  Panglima Gemilang Bintang Kenyalang (PGBK) (Commander of the Star of the Hornbill of Sarawak) (2011)
• Pegawai Bintang Sarawak (PBS) (Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak-Officer) (1987)

  Kanang and some of his awards or medals.

Death and Funeral

On 3 January 2013, he collapsed while watching television at home in Sungai Apong, Sri Aman after complaining of chest pains. Immediately rushed to the Sarawak General Hospital, he was pronounced dead at the age of 68.Kanang passed away at the age of 68 at the Sarawak General Hospital on Thursday morning after complaining of chest pains. He was buried today (Jan 6) with full military honours at the Heroes’ Grave at Jalan Budaya, Kuching.
The messages of condolences and sympathy have been received by the family of the late Kanang from government leaders and public people too. He will be buried as a national burial. His coffin, draped in the Jalur Gemilang and the colours of the Malaysian Armed Forces, was first brought to the 1st Infantry Division base located at Bukavu Camp in Penrissen for the family members and friends to perform prayers and miring ceremony (offering ceremony), before being brought toKuching Civic Centre for the public to pay their last respects. He was buried at the Heroes' Grave in Jalan Taman Budaya, after the funeral prayers at St.Thomas Cathedral in Kuching.
Among Ibans, Kanang/s legendary acts in the military service is regarded as "raja berani tau serang" which is commensurate with the highest widower fee (number one) for Great War Leader stated below. Otherwise, his temenggong chieftain title entitled him for the fifth widower fee as they have their own Adat which is Adat Tebalu.

Angkatan Tentera Malaysia are doing Funeral for Kanang.

Retirement's Life

Kanang retired after 21 years of service as a First Warrant Officer. He was the Temenggong (paramount chief) of the Iban in Sri Aman, his place of residence. He was awarded the Officer of the Most Exalted Order of the Star of Sarawak (PBS) (Malay: Pegawai Bintang Sarawak) in 1987.

Malaysia’s most decorated war hero Kanang Anak Langkau could have died as a pauper as his military services – helping to liberate Malaya (and later Malaysia) from the communists were not respected as a hero should be until he and few other war heroes made noise complaining that they had been treated shabbily both by the Federal Government and Sarawak State Government.

There are 16 receiver for PGB and SP medal, which is both of it is about bravery. Kanang is one of the. Unfortunately after retire,their contributions were not financially recognized – not even a sen and their welfare were not taken care of, as compared to financial rewards and other perks given to communist terrorists who surrendered.Their contributions were initially not rewarded, not even a sen except they received pensions like other retired civil servants.The heroes were not even invited to attend national day celebrations.

Angered by the ill-treatment, Kanang even refused ‘Datukship’ offered to him saying he was a poor man and could not afford to receive the title of ‘Datukship’.Their woes got the attention of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Lubok Antu in Sarawak Mr. Jawah Gerang who raised the issue in Parliament some time in 1980s. Approved by the government, a PGB holder was given a monthly allowance of RM300 and a SP holder RM400.

In 2006, the parliament approved the issue that was brought by delegations of heroes from Sarawak, that is about their allowances, and the parliament give a SP holder receives RM2,000 a month, while a PGB holder receives RM1,900 a month.

For his knowledge in Iban traditions and customs, Kanang was later made a Temenggong for the Iban community of Sri Aman division and last year he was conferred a Datukship by the state government.On 15 April 2009, he made headlines after rescuing a baby orangutan from captivity with his friend, Tay Choon Yong. The baby orangutan was being handed to Semenggoh Wildlife Centre.

In 2011, Kanang supervised Operation Mai Pulai (operation Bringing Back). This operation involved the locating and exhumation of the remains of 21 Iban Trackers and Sarawak Rangers who were killed during the Second Malayan Emergency. Their remains were exhumed from multiple location on the Malay Peninsula and returned to Sarawak where they were ceremonially reburied in July 2011.

Kanang after retire and planting vegetables to support his life.

Personal Life

 Kanang was married to Helen Latai Intie , 14 years old on May 25, 1965. However, on that historic day, he was called  to track a member Pasukan 1st Royal New Zealand Army who is lost . On the third day of the operation, member whose gone missing were found in the bushes hungry and injured. After the operation,

Kanang went back home to his wife's longhouse. After that Kanang bring Helen into Semanggang to register their marriage.

Kanang was promoted to Sergeant on July 17, 1978 . Kanang has been a Certified Senior Officials Not all military functions . New responsibilities is to help lead a rifle platoon and act as the senior platoon leader . At the same time, it is the first time Helen moved out of the house long, she is having difficulty adapting to an environment that is odd to her. Helen did not speak Malay. But Helen has taken a positive attitude to learned something new. Due to her persistence, Helen can master the Malay language and Malay cooking . Kanang also encourage her to be engaged in the Armed Forces Family Welfare .

When he left this world on 3 January 2013, he left 6 children and 8 grandchild and also his second wife Datin Brawang Chunggot, that he married after his first, Helen Latai Intie die because of cancer on 2011.

Kanang with his second wife. Datin Brawang Chunggot.

Career

Kanang's career starts when he entered military service with the British Army, as an Iban Tracker, attending Jungle Warfare School in Ulu Tiram in early 1962. He join Sarawak Rangers as an Iban tracker in 21 April 1962. Sarawak Rangers was then part of the British Army. Kanang was attached to the 42 commando serving during the Brunei Revolt and during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation. He later served with the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. He was  later absorbed into the Malaysian Army’s Royal Ranger Regiment upon the formation of Malaysia in 16th September 1963 between the then Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah (then North Borneo) and Sarawak.

After that there was a confrontation between Malaysia and Indonesia, in an operation in the Korbu Forest Reserve at Fort Legap on the 1st June 1979 whilst on a mission tracking the enemy, Sergeant Kanang's group came across a temporary enemy resting camp. Sergeant Kanang ak Langkau from the 8th Battalion Royal Rangers immediately launched an attack on that enemy camp, an enemy that far outnumbered the Kanang's group. In this fierce contact with the enemy, two of the Rangers went down, mortally wounded. Five of the enemy were killed, enemy equipment too were captured. He was conferred the highest gallantry award, the "Pingat Gagah Berani" by his Majesty the King.

In an incident in Tanah Hitam, Perak on February 8, 1980 a soldier was killed. Kanang leading a platoon was sent to track the enemy down and destroy them. For eleven days they tracked the enemy until they stumbled upon a much larger enemy force at Ladang Kinding, Sungei Siput, Perak. The tracking skills of Kanang and his courage led him successfully to follow up on the enemy. The enemy was cunning and skillful in the use of the ground to their advantage. The enemy was very adept at concealment, with the years piled on fighting the British and the Malayans before that. Due to the courage of Kanang and his tracking skills, the Rangers managed to keep up with the enemy. Even as some of his men were disheartened, he kept their morale up by encouraging them.

Since the death of the soldier 11 days he managed to doggedly track and identify the enemy's exact route of escape. On the evening of 19th February 1980 at around 1500 hours in the afternoon, after conducting a reconnaissance with great caution and care, his platoon managed to estimate the location of the enemy, which was located not very far from their location.

At that moment, Sergeant Kanang was approximately 8 meters from the enemy sentry's location. Realizing that, he launched the assault towards the right by firing towards the right of the enemy along with his platoon. After lauching the attack to the right, it suddenly struck everyone that the enemy's main force was on the left, below the slope of the hill. Without losing his senses, he switched the direction of fire to the left, at the same time changing the direction of the assault to the left.

They ploughed into the enemy but a large force of the enemy managed to escape. The platoon and Kanang managed to bag five Communist Terrorists on that day. Even with that success, they were saddened by the loss of one of their group who was killed and one more seriously wounded. Whilst trying to rescue his wounded friends, Sergeant Kanang himself was repeatedly shot, he took three rounds from the enemy into his body. The will to live and fight another day was strong, he was in comma for two months in hospital but recuperated and was back on active duty. His fellow Ibans say Kanang died but came alive again.

         

           Kanang showing his wound after the battle.

Biography of Kanang

Kanang Anak Langkau

  Born on 2 March 1945 at Julau,Sarawak. He died on 3 January 2013. His educational level is not so high, he only studied until standard 3. He cannot be apart from his grandfather and that is why he stop schooling. He never met his father because his mother and father was divorced. When he stay with his grandparent, he became a boy with no direction in life. He always go hunting and fishing to spend his leisure time.

 When he grew up as a teenager he works as rubber tappers, coal carrier, and cook for Mr Ford. On that time he doesn't have many friends because of his bad temper. His grandparent are the only one who always talk and teach him about life. When he was 17, he works as a boat driver and one day after sending some customer to an interview, he was offered to be the soldiers. He reject the offer but after that he accept it and he become the Iban Tracker in 1962.

 He has many experiences when he was in the 1st Royal New Zealand Army team. In 1965, he got married with Helen. After working for 21 years, he finally retired in 1986. While he was working, he had receive many awards from the government because of his bravery.

Introduction.

Assalamualaikum WBT

  First of all , I would like to introduce my self. My name is Nur Erra Fazira binti Azman. I am 20 years old. I was born in Hospital Besar Melaka on 17th September 1993. I am from DECOM 5C.

  Why I choose to write about Kanang ? This is because in form 3, I had learned about him for my "Bahasa Malaysia". I learned about him in a novel titled 'Kanang: Cerita Seorang Pahlawan'. In this novel written by Maznan Noordin, it has all story about Kanang from his childhood until his retirement. I want to tell others about Kanang braveness and his sacrifice for our country when he was struggling to save our country.

  For me, He is one of Malaysian Best Warrior and because of that i want to share his story, his experience, his life so that it can be guidance for the Malaysian. My objective is to create awareness among people about the hardships soldiers fought against the communist. Secondly, to identified the success of Malaysian heroes when they are fighting and struggling for our country peace and freedom. Third to show appreciation towards the other Malaysian fighter.