KOTA KINABALU, Sept. 16 -- Retired police officer Datuk Clement Jaikul has literally taken a bullet for the country. Many times in fact.

On duty in British North Borneo before the formation of Malaysia, Jaikul was among those on the periphery of the action, escorting members of the Cobbold Commission in Sandakan on their fact finding mission and later on, looking for out possible insurgents during the proclamation of Malaysia.

Jaikul, now 78 years old, first joined the North Borneo Police Force in 1958, moving between the criminal investigation department, through Special Branch, up to divisional superintendent, marine police and finally ending his 38-year career as as assistant commissioner of police and along the way being the first D...