For other people with the same name, see Ibrahim Ismail.
In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Ismail is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Ibrahim. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
General(Rtd)TunIbrahim bin Ismail[1] (Jawi: إبراهيم بن إسماعيل; 19 October 1922 – 23 December 2010) was a Malaysian soldier who served in the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) during World War II, subsequently rising to the post of Chief of the Malaysian Defence Forces from 1970 until 1977.[2] He was the first Chief of the Defence Forces to be granted the honorific title “Tun”.[3]
He was recruited into "Force 136", the cover name for the SOE in the Far East. In October 1944 he and two colleagues were parachuted onto the western coast of Terengganu as part of "Operation Oatmeal". Their location was betrayed and they were soon captured by the Japanese – along with their codebook. After a month's interrogation, they agreed to turn double agent, but managed to inform SOE of their situation, effectively becoming triple agents.[2]
Their disinformation led the Japanese to believe the land assault on Malaya – Operation Zipper – would occur on the Kra Isthmus, 650 miles (1,050 km) to the north of its actual location. Japan surrendered before the landings, and Ibrahim informed his captors that his religion would not permit him to commit hara-kiri with them.[2] For his actions Captain Ibrahim was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in November 1946.[4]
Post-war, Ibrahim joined the Sultan of Johore's Royal Johor Military Force (JMF), transferring to the Malay Regiment in 1951. He commanded the 6th Battalion, Royal Malay Regiment from 1958, and was promoted to Brigadier in 1962. He served as Director of Administration in the Federation Army, and then commanded the 5th Infantry Brigade, and was GOC of the 1st Infantry Division from 1966.[2]
He was involved in the suppression of the May 1969 riots[5] and was a member of the ruling National Operations Council between 1969 and 1971. With the rank of General he then served as Chief of the Defence Forces until his retirement in 1977. In 1984 he published his wartime memoirs Have You Met Mariam?
Tun Ibrahim died at Tuanku Mizan Armed Forces Hospital, Kuala Lumpur on 23 December 2010. His body was laid to rest at Makam Pahlawan near Masjid Negara, Kuala Lumpur. He was the first military person laid to rest there.
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