Rosenzweig (fourth right), Cameron (fifth left), Wee (sixth left), Ratnam (second right), Wong (right), Ting (third right), Fiona (left) and others in a group photo at the Memorial.
KUCHING (Sept 11): The South Australia and Northern Territory Branch of the National Malaya and Borneo Veterans Association Australia (NMBVAA) paid tribute to fallen heroes at the Batu Lintang Memorial Square here yesterday in conjunction with the 77th anniversary of the Liberation Day of Batu Lintang Prisoner of War (POW) Camp.
The commemoration service was also held to honour the memory of South Australian Brigadier Tom Eastick DSO, the Commander Kuching Force, who accepted the surrender of Japanese forces in Kuching at the end of World War II.
NMBVAA president Major (Rtd) Paul A. Rosenzweig said the visit by the association reaffirmed the common values and deep friendship that Australians shared with their Sarawakian counterparts.
“It’s very significant for us and we’re very proud that a South Australian from Adelaide came here as the Commander of the Force to liberate Kuching and begin the process of security, stability and development Sarawak is now experiencing,” he told reporters when met.
He said the NMBVAA has taken a four-pronged approach to the commemoration, namely to remember the fallen, remember Malaysia, honour the living, and to look to the future.
“At our Malaya/Borneo Veterans Day commemorative services in Adelaide and in Kuching, we honour the sacrifice of 45 Australians who died on operational service during the Malayan Emergency, and 26 Australians who died during the Indonesian Confrontation with Malaysia,” he said, noting that 11 had died in Sarawak including three who passed away after being medically evacuated.
To honour the fallen, two memorials have been established in Adelaide while in Kuching, the memorial plaque is located at the Sarawak Heroes Memorial Park in Batu Lintang.
Rosenzweig said the commemoration programme also included sponsorship where the association provided ongoing financial assistance to three schools in Bau district to support the growth of upcoming generations.
“These schools are located in areas where Australian forces were deployed during Confrontation to defend the approaches to Bau and Kuching.
“We remember the support the residents gave our Australian troops in 1965 and 1966, and they remember us during our reunion visits and our veterans were acknowledged,” he said.
He said NMBVAA will be coming back to Kuching in August next year to hold a combined commemorative ceremony with New Zealand, United Kingdom and Malaysia veterans.
“We will all come together here to commemorate the fallen,” he added.
During the ceremony, Rosenzweig alongside NMBVAA vice president Don Cameron and Kuching South Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng laid wreaths at the Memorial to honour the 71 Australians who died during the two undeclared Malayan wars particularly those who died here at the Batu Lintang POW Camp.
Also present were Colonel (Rtd) Ratnam and Lieutenant-Colonel (Rtd) Fabian Wong who represented the Veterans’ Association of Sarawak, Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) Heritage Development Committee chairperson Fiona Marcus Raja and Australian honorary consul to Sarawak Datuk Philip Ting.
from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3RWY4H6
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