8/14/2019 TheSun 2008-12-16 Page07 Test of Time and Skill for
the RER
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newswithoutborders
7theSun | TUESDAY DECEMBER 16 2008
by Charles [email protected]
KUALA LUMPUR: The BukitAntarabangsa landslide disasterprovided
the Royal MalaysianArmys engineering division theopportunity to
show that theirskills and capabilities were notconfined to the
battlefields.
The Dec 6 landslide wasa curtain raiser for the RoyalEngineer
Regiment (RER),probably the first time thepublic witnessed its role
in thearmy of providing relief duringnatural disasters.
Rolling out special military
equipment, they toiled dili-gently, working in typicalmilitary
regimentation to freeresidents stranded in theirhomes.
They displayed theirexpertise in building a bridgeand paving
paths around roadscut off by the landslide.
The commanding officer
of the 9th RERconstructionsregiment, Lt. KolHo Hin Chai,who
oversawthe constructionof roads andbridges at thedisaster site,
saidit was the firsttime the regimenthad been taskedwith
providingrelief in a naturaldisaster.
Our divisionis like the JKR(Public Works
Department) of the army, hesaid.Our function during war
is to pave roads, lay bridgesacross rivers, erect camps tohouse
soldiers and provideany kind of support which willease the mobility
of troops.All this has to be done at greatspeed and order, said Ho,
who
alternative road at the BukitAntarabangsa site, the 4thBridging
Squadron from anRER camp in Gemas, Johorwas behind the laying of
asteel military bridge across amonsoon drain close to therelief
centre.
He said about 100 RERpersonnel were involved in theoperation,
which proved to be
a success and was testimonyto the usefulness of the
heavymilitary equipment acquiredby the army for RM90 millionin
2005.
Brigadier Jeneral DatukAzman Rosli, who headedarmy operations at
the site ofthe disaster, said the operationwas a test of time and
skill for
the personnel, who had provedtheir mettle.
He said army personneltook just 90 minutes to lay abridge and 20
hours to buildan alternative road which hasbeen used by more than
7,000
vehicles since its construction aday after the landslide.
Selangor Mentri Besar TanSri Khalid Ibrahim, who met
all army personnel taking partin the operation on Sunday,thanked
them for their effortsand commended them for a jobwell done.
You have come here underdifferent circumstances anddone a
commendable job.The Selangor government isgrateful to you, he
said.
Test oftime and skill
for the RER
HosupervisesRERpersonnelas theydismantle asteel bridgeat the
siteof the BukitAntara-bangsa
landslide.
is based at Batu Kentonmen
Camp on Jalan Ipoh here.Among the RERs otherfunctions is to lay
and clearlandmines, build landing pointsor helipads, and supply
treatedwater to military troops.
Ho said that while the unitunder his immediate commandwas in
charge of conductingsurveys for and building an
