Corporal Mat Aznan bin Awang (28 December 1960 – 4 October 1993) was a

Malaysian Army The Malaysian Army ( ms, Tentera Darat Malaysia; Jawi: تنترا دارت مليسيا) is the land component of the Malaysian Armed Forces. Steeped in British Army traditions, the Malaysian Army does not carry the title ‘royal’ () as do th ...

soldier who served in the Malaysian Battilion (MALBATT) of the United Nations Operation in Somalia II (UNOSOM II). Mat Aznan was posthumously awarded the

Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa The Grand Knight of Valour ( ms, Darjah Kebesaran Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa) is the highest federal award which can be presented in Malaysia. It was created on 29 July 1960 and was gazetted on 11 August 1960. The award is the highest ranking in ...

(SP) for his actions during the Battle of Mogadishu on October 1993. He was a

Royal Malay Regiment The Royal Malay Regiment ( ms, Rejimen Askar Melayu DiRaja; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, three battalions are par ...

soldier and hailed from Kampung Parit Panjang, Baling, Kedah.

Battle of Mogadishu

On October 4, 1993, Mat Aznan was involved in the rescue mission of seventy US Rangers and five members of the US Air Force who were surrounded in the

Bakaara Market The Bakaaraha Market ( so, Suuqa Bakaaraha) is an open market in Mogadishu, Somalia. It is the largest in the nation. The name ''Bakaaraha'' is derived from the Somali word for grain silo or storage, . The market was created in late 1972 during th ...

area of

Mogadishu Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...

, Somalia. During the rescue operation, Mat Aznan acted as a driver of a Condor Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC). While in transit, the rescue convoy was ambushed and the armored car driven by him was shot at by anti-tank weapons from the front. This penetrated the bullet-proof window, killing him and wounding nine others. In this incident, four Condor APC vehicles were destroyed. However, the rescue efforts of US military personnel was successfully executed by MALBATT.

Honours

Mat Aznan Awang was awarded the

(SP) from the 10th

Yang di-Pertuan Agong The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...

, Almarhum Tuanku Jaafar of

Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...

on 4 June 1994. He was posthumously promoted to Corporal by the Malaysian Army.

Legacy

One of Mat Aznan's daughters continues the legacy by serving in the same battalion.

References

Malaysian military personnel 1993 deaths Malaysian Muslims Malaysian people of Malay descent People from Kedah Recipients of the Grand Knight of Valour Battle of Mogadishu (1993) 1960 births {{Malaysia-mil-bio-stub