A Japanese perspective of WW2 in North Borneo

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Masidi (left), Ueno (second left), Braithwaite (second right) and Chan (right) during the launch of the book yesterday.

KOTA KINABALU: The newly launched book ‘An End to a War’ has contributed tremendously to Sabah’s history during the Second World War.

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun when launching the publication at a leading hotel yesterday, described the book by the late, Ueno Itsuyoshi, a late draftee of the Second World War in North Borneo, as relating the story of the ‘Death March’ from the perspective of the Japanese.

“This is quite rare…it has allowed us to see the war from the perspectives of the Allied Forces and that of the Japanese soldiers who fought during the war” he said.

He added that the author has succeeded in showing that they too were victims of the war and that they too suffered and experienced death from the conflict.

As an example, he cited a part of the book that tells about the Japanese soldiers’ journey from Tawau to Kota Kinabalu, which was to act as their final fortress.

“More than 8,000 Japanese soldiers died, and the total was more than the total number of Australian soldiers who perished during the war,” he said.

Masidi went on to add that the book concerning the war serves as a reminder to mankind of the negative implications of a war.

“In war, no one wins except the arms dealers. They laugh all the way to the bank each time someone buys arms from them,” he said.

He added that Malaysians should consider themselves lucky as the country continues to flourish in peace and harmony.

He said however that some countries are not as lucky and are experiencing war and conflicts even at this day and age.

“And yet those countries are spending so much on the purchases of arms instead of concentrating on eradicating poverty or diseases. The spending on arms should be re-considered,” he said.

Also present at the event were the book’s editor, Dr Richard Wallace Braithwaite, the author’s eldest daughter, Yoko Ueno and publisher, Datuk CL Chan.