ONCE UPON A TIME IN A SAILOR'S LIFE

Once Upon A Time In A Sailor's Life...

Memoirs of 809025 LK KMR Zulheimy Maamor – Royal Malaysian Navy Veteran

I never thought 16 years would pass so fast. My journey with the Royal Malaysian Navy began with one simple decision: TO SERVE. 

This blog is not about rank, medals, or operations. It is about life between the bulkheads. The laughter in the mess, the silence before the storm, the brother who covered your watch, and the sea that taught us everything we know about patience, courage, and humility. 

When I stepped into KD Pelandok, Lumut, on 14 January 1980 as a young recruit, I didn't know I would end up serving 16 years on 9 ships and 3 shore bases, never once serving in a base in Lumut itself—only on ships.

This is my sailor's life.

Chapter 1: The Beginning—KD Pelandok

14.1.1980 - The recruits of Intake 139/80 first arrived at the Lumut Naval Base, the first recruit to be trained at the newly opened base in Lumut. The massive 1,800-acre base was still under construction. Recruits trained amidst open dirt tracks and red clay. 

They successfully concluded their gruelling training and passed out on June 26, 1980. This intake made history as the very first batch to officially inaugurate the new Lumut Parade Ground and graduate on Malaysian soil.

KD Pelandok was where boys became sailors. As LM KMR—a Laskar Muda trained as a naval communicator—we learned Morse code, flags, semaphore, procedures, and most importantly, discipline. Lumut was muddy, hot, and full of shouting. But it was home.

Chapter 2: The Singapore Years—Fast and Sealift

My first ship was KD Ganas, 1st Squadron Fast Attack Craft (Missile) in Woodlands, Singapore. 3 February to 27 July 1981. A missile boat is small and fast, and you feel every wave in your bones. 

My first experience at sea, and my first experience when the sea state was Beaufort 4, generating wave heights between 1.25 and 2.5 metres (4 to 8 feet). 

We were not scared; we were focused. That is what training gives you, not the absence of fear, but the ability to do your job through. 

"Rough seas make stronger sailors."

Then I was drafted to KD Raja Jarom, 32nd Sealift Squadron, also in Woodlands—28 July 1981 to 28 June 1982. From a striker to a workhorse. Sealift taught me the Navy is not just about guns; it's about bringing men and supplies where they are needed. That's where my second photo—facing the rough sea—was born.

We sailed from Woodlands to East Malaysia for the Ops Terumbu at Swallow Reef and sailed to Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, back to Kuching, Miri, and Bintulu. Each port a different story. 

They say you can take the sailor from the sea, but you can never take the sea from the sailor. 

In a ship, especially a big ship, we were Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan, etc., but aboard, we were just Malaysian sailors. We prayed in different ways but stood the same watch. 

The ship was involved in a collision with the Japanese tanker on 19 December 1982, which resulted in the loss of 3 crew members. 

Read further at Notebook—The History and Mystery of KD Raja Jarom (A1502). 

"Life is like the ocean. It can be calm or still and rough or rigid. But in the end, it is always beautiful."

Chapter 3: The East—Sibu, Sarawak

After my Class 1 KMR course, I got draughtsman to KD Sri Rejang (RCP 7) in Sibu, Sarawak, from 28 March 1983 to 24 November 1984. Riverine patrol. Different navy entirely, the Brown Water Navy. Brown water, long rivers, and kampungs along the bank. We were the government to people deep in Sarawak. That was one of the few places I stayed more than a year.

Chapter 4: The Nomad Years—1985 to 1987

This is what made me feel tired. Between 1985 and 1987, I was the ball of the Navy.

KD Pendekar in Pasir Gudang, then LK KMR course back in Pelandok, then KD Mutiara, 36th Hydrographic Squadron—charting waters, quiet work but vital. Then Kementah in KL, then KD Ganyang, then KD Panah in Kuantan, then KD Sri Negeri Sembilan.

Most units, not even one year, then transferred again. As a radio operator—an RO, a semboyan man—I went where the signal needed me.

"Rough seas make stronger sailors; tough times build greater people."

Chapter 5: Pride—KD Lekir

Then came the highlight of my career. KD Lekir, 22nd Corvette Squadron, Lumut: from 7 August 1989 to 4 December 1991. This was my longest ship posting. A corvette is a real warship. Professional, proud, long patrols in the South China Sea. This is the ship I wear on my cap in my young photo. On Lekir, I was no longer a boy learning the ropes. I was a Laskar Kanan who knew the ropes.

Chapter 6: The Last Shore—SKTLDM Kuantan

After Lekir, SKTLDM Kuantan from 4 December 1991 to 13 March 1995. Kuantan became my last home in uniform.

And here is a story I have never forgotten.

After about one year in Kuantan, a draft order came. My name was listed to be transferred to KD Musytari. I was tired. Tired of being moved like a ball from ship to ship. So I met a female officer—I don't remember her name—and asked for her kindness not to transfer me because I had decided not to continue my service.

I still remember my words to her: "Puan, saya bukanlah pemain bola dalam TLDM, tetapi saya adalah bola dalam TLDM."

I am not the football player in the RMN; I am the football itself.

She understood. My transfer to KD Musytari was cancelled, and I stayed in SKTLDM Kuantan until the end.

Chapter 7: The Things We Never Did

There is one funny irony in my 16 years. I was a Communications Rating, an RO. I always collected signals at the counter in SKTLDM Lumut. But I never once entered inside the Comcen itself. Maybe I am one of the radio operators who never served in SKTLDM Lumut.

Tamat Perkhidmatan TLDM: 13 January 1996.

16 years. Finished at Markas Tentera Laut, KL, and transitioned to the course at RBQ Auto Services, Pandan Jaya.

Epilogue: What the Sea Taught Me

The Navy taught me three things no school can:

1. A ship is only as strong as its crew. Rank means nothing when the storm hits at 2 AM. Everyone is needed.

2. Home is not a place; it's the people you miss while at sea.

3. You can be transferred, you can be tired, you can be the ball—but you never lose your anchor.

To all my shipmates from KD Ganas, KD Raja Jarom, KD Sri Rejang, KD Pendekar, KD Mutiara, KD Ganyang, KD Panah, KD Sri Negeri Sembilan, and especially KD Lekir—fair winds and following seas.

We were sailors once, and sailors forever.

The sea is not just a vast expanse of water; it is a living entity that binds us together, regardless of where we come from or where we go. Each wave carries with it the echoes of our laughter, the whispers of our fears, and the memories of our shared adventures.

As we navigate through life, the lessons learned on the deck remain etched in our hearts. The camaraderie forged in the face of storms, the quiet moments under starlit skies, and the bonds that transcend time and distance—these are the treasures we carry with us.

No matter where we find ourselves, the spirit of the sailor lives on within us, guiding our paths and reminding us of the strength we possess. We may have left the ships behind, but the sea will always be a part of who we are.

So here’s to the sailors—past, present, and future. May we always find our way back to the horizon, where the sky meets the sea, and our hearts remain anchored in the memories of our journeys.

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

27 August 2026: 8.48 a.m.