The late Major (retd) Michael Riman Bujat has been laid to rest at the Heroes Memorial here, surrounded by family, friends, and fellow armed forces veterans who paid their final respects.
The coffin arrived at around 9.45am on today (Aug 10), carried by eight army personnel, heading towards the military cemetery. The burial took place next to the gravestone of another Panglima Gagah Berani (PGB) recipient, the late DSP Michael Padel.
As the cemetery filled with fellow veterans and family members, the funeral ceremony proceeded with a prayer led by Fr George Joll of St Basil Church.
Dignitaries present included Deputy Sarawak Secretary Datuk Buckland Bangik, representing the Sarawak government; Maj-Gen Hassan Embong, First Division Infantry commander; and Deputy Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mancha Ata.
Lt-Gen (retd) Datuk Stephen Mundaw and Lt-Gen (retd) Datuk Seri Panglima Zaini Mohd Said were also in attendance.
Maj-Gen Zambry Jefry Darus, head director of the Malaysian Armed Forces Veteran Affairs, represented the Ministry of Defence.
Around 10.15am, the coffin was lowered into the grave, with wreaths placed atop by the guests.
Gedik Bujat, the sister of the late Michael Riman, was presented with the folded Jalur Gemilang flag by Maj-Gen Zambry, followed by a final salute to conclude the funeral ceremony at 10.45am.
Stephen shared his memories of the late Michael Riman, describing him as a man of few words who was highly regarded in the Royal Ranger Regiment (RRD).
“I had known him and we had spoken before. He was a man of few words, especially when it came to discussing work and his life. However, within the RRD regiment, he was well-known for his past military experiences and combat tours. It is sad to see a living hero depart from this world,” he reflected.
Michael Riman, a recipient of the PGB medal, passed away on Aug 7 at the age of 71 after battling kidney disease for several years.
