Tan Sri J.J Raj dies at 100 - IGP

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Bukit Aman Management Department director Tan Sri J.J. Raj, who famously rescued personnel of the Bukit Kepong police station in Johor more than half a century ago, died today at Ara Damansara Medical Centre in Petaling Jaya early this morning.

Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani who confirmed the passing of the Bukit Kepong hero, said the deceased died at the age of 100 at 1.55 am earlier today due to cardiac arrhythmia while being treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

He said the body of the late retired police commissioner would be taken to Nirvana Memorial Park in Shah Alam, to be given last respects by his family members and the public this evening.

"The late Raj was previously known as the Pagoh district police chief who led the Tiger Squad to rescue personnel of Bukit Kepong police station who were attacked by communist terrorists during the Emergency era in 1950.

"The culmination of the late Raj's career in the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) came when he was appointed Management Department director of Bukit Aman in 1974 before his compulsory retirement in 1976 with the rank of Police Commissioner," he said in a statement today.

Acryl Sani said that indeed the service and devotion rendered by the late Raj was immense and called his passing a great loss to PDRM and the country.

He, along with deputy IGP Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim and the entire PDRM staff extended their condolences to the family of the deceased.

The late J.J. Raj was born on July 27, 1921 in Chemor, Perak and had his early education at St. Michael's Institution Ipoh, before he married Puan Sri Irene Raj in 1952 and was blessed with four children and three grandchildren.

He joined PDRM as a trainee inspector in 1946 and became the Pagoh district police chief in 1950 during the bloody attack on the police station in Bukit Kepong during the Emergency in Malaya on Feb 23, 1950.

During his illustrious career with PDRM, he held several important positions, namely Tangkak district police chief (1952), Kuala Lumpur district police chief (1958) (before KL became a Federal Territory), Pahang police chief (1961), Negri Sembilan police chief (1967) and finally Management Department director of Bukit Aman in 1974 before retiring in 1976.

He had a scintillating service record in the PDRM team which spanned 30 years.

-- BERNAMA