He was entrusted with US$10mil in war-torn Bosnia

Few people knew what he was carrying. Even many of his fellow Malaysian peacekeepers remained unaware for decades.

“I had to keep that information highly confidential, even among my closest military buddies,” the retired lieutenant-colonel, now 63, recalled.

“Only my personal armed escorts – a sergeant and corporal – were aware of this.”

Othman, then a major, was responsible for safeguarding as much as US$10 million in cash during Malaysia’s pioneering peacekeeping deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1993.

He was among the 1,489 personnel of Malaysian Battalion I, or Malbatt I, deployed as part of the United Nations Protection Force during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.

At a reunion of Malbatt I veterans held recently, Othman revealed just how closely he guarded the money.

“I kept the bagful of cash with me all the time, even when I ate, went to the bathroom, or was asleep! My movements were very restricted to avoid being exposed.”

With conventional banking facilities unavailable in the conflict zone, cash was essential to keeping the Malaysian mission running.

“We had to pay cash, either in US dollars or deutsche marks, to facilitate advance salaries, purchase fuel, firewood, machinery, defence equipment and construction materials for camps, roadblocks and bunkers,” Othman explained.

“Most of all, cash was necessary in case of an emergency evacuation of our troops.”

He had previously been entrusted with a similar responsibility during the three-month winter training in Turkey that preceded the deployment.

Once the troops entered Bosnia, money was only one of various logistical challenges confronting Malaysia’s pioneer contingent. Retired captain Azme Dollah, 64, led a 25-truck convoy from Split, Croatia, to Visoko in Bosnia.

He remembers the nine-month deployment as a gruelling experience, particularly during winter.

“Still fresh in my memory was sleeping in the freezing cold without heaters, as there was no electricity,” he said. “There was never a day without gunfire, sniper shots or artillery shells and bombs exploding – day and night.”

The soldiers also witnessed the suffering of civilians around them. “We had to deal with fleeing Muslim Bosnians who lived without enough food, medication and protection,” Azme recalled.

“As the pioneer batch, we faced countless encumbrances, trials and tribulations, which we overcame with our resilience and steadfastness. Whatever shortcomings and budget constraints we faced, we made do with improvisation and our own initiative to survive.”

Azme was part of the first multi-skilled group of about 200 Malaysian soldiers who arrived in Visoko on Jan 13, 1993.

Malbatt I was headquartered in Konjic, with forward camps in places including Jablanica, Visoko and Pazaric. Major-General Norsham Tap, 59, remembers how difficult even travelling between camps could be.

“It was an arduous task through snow-filled logging tracks, as the main routes and bridges were often destroyed by bombs. I remember it took us three days to travel from Split, Croatia, across to Konjic, Bosnia.”

Others were tasked with making sure supplies continued to arrive. Retired colonel Hamin Zairin Hamzah, 68, was based in Split, coordinating air, land and sea logistics and clearing containers of equipment, medicine, food and beverages bound for Malaysian camps.

“My two assistants and I had our hands full liaising with the local authorities and UN officials to ensure supplies and troop movements went smoothly,” he recalled.

For retired lieutenant-colonel Mohamed Amin Mohamed Zin, 65, one memory was considerably warmer: Malaysian camps became popular with both foreign peacekeepers and locals, thanks partly to the food.

“They simply loved our traditional food cooked using wood, as there was no gas, and enjoyed our warm hospitality,” he said. “Many of them even picked up spoken Malay.”

Malbatt I also established a field hospital in Konjic. Retired major Tengku Alam Ismail, 72, said the RM10 million facility included operating theatres and was staffed by personnel including a general surgeon, dentist, emergency medics and general practitioner.

“Fortunately, there were no major cases except for vehicular injuries,” he added.

The battalion was commanded by Md Hashim Hussein, who later became chief of the Malaysian Army. Another member of Malbatt I, Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan, would also eventually rise to the same position.

Nevertheless, for the veterans gathered more than three decades later, the reunion was less about rank than about the shared memories of a truly extraordinary chapter in their lives.