Lest we forget

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Kiwi veterans place poppies at the memorial.

IN the nation’s capital city, this year’s celebration of National Day saw participation by a dozen war veterans from Britain and New Zealand. They are the survivors of the war against the Communist insurgents during the Malayan Emergency. This time they came back as tourists with their wives.

While in KL during the celebrations, they took part in a parade. It was very gracious of the Malaysian government to accord that honour to the ageing men, and those of their number who never made it home from Malaya. The survivors were visiting their camps or what is left of those camps and conducting memorial services for the repose of the souls of their departed comrades.

As I was watching the parades on TV, I thought I was going to see a glimpse of one of the survivors, George Cross winner Awang Raweng. I was disappointed. Was he invited at all?

In Sarawak, National Day was celebrated in Bintulu. Perhaps, he was in Bintulu?

Two days earlier, in Kuching, 28 members of the Malaya New Zealand Veterans Association held a commemoration service at the Heroes Memorial Park.

Special plaque with a message

A special part of the ceremony was the unveiling of a plaque by the New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia, Dr John Subritzky, to commemorate New Zealand’s contribution to the security of Sarawak during troubled times. I was told that such a plaque had never been put up anywhere else in the world by the Malaya New Zealand Veterans Association. If this is true, then history was being made on Tuesday, Aug 29, 2017. Chroniclers, please take note.

In Sarawak, the internal insurgency and the external threat, if successful, could have strangled the infant nation of Malaysia at birth. It’s all very well for our politicians to repeat, endlessly, how they struggled to form Malaysia. Our Commonwealth friends struggled too, gun in hand! And they didn’t get plum government jobs at the end of the struggle.

The enemy did not succeed, thanks to our friends from overseas, who provided help when help was necessary in our hour of need. This is not to forget about the role of our own security forces. Salute them all! The Border Scouts, for instance, did an equally crucial role in the defeat of the enemy; but when I looked at the grave markers at the park, I did not see that of ASP Gomez Malong, who won a medal for bravery (PGB). Why he was not interred among the bravest, can someone explain?

Let’s pray that there will be no more need for the commemorative plaques or the laying of wreaths except for ceremonial purposes.

A time to remember

I was impressed with how the commemorative ceremony was organised. The rain did not dampen the spirit of the Malaysian veterans from the police and the Rangers and their former comrades-at-arms from overseas.

In describing the scene, I cannot do better than quote a former Colonel, Jim Hoskin, who explained the purpose of the gathering, “This is not a sad occasion, but a commemoration, a time to remember, with some pride, the New Zealand soldiers, sailors, and airmen who came to Sarawak in troubled times, now more than 50 years ago, did their job, and did it well, and then left without losing a soul.”

Bull’s eye, Colonel! He added, “Some of those who were here then are here again today. Our job is to make sure that they, their comrades-in-arms their effort, their professionalism, and their commitment, are not forgotten.”

Col Jim Hoskin came to Borneo with a Gurkha battalion in 1964 as a platoon commander, then as Liaison Officer Border Scouts covering Limbang and Lawas in Sarawak and Long Pasia and Pensiangan in Sabah.

He joined the New Zealand army and served in it for 20 years in the Peninsula and Singapore, ending up upon retirement as a defence consultant. He fell in love with Sarawak while serving here. And in the temperate climate of the Sarawak Highlands, he is enjoying his retirement with his family in peace and tranquillity.

NZ-Sarawak ties

This former colonel remembers some ‘odd’ connections between New Zealand and Sarawak even before the Subandrio/Sukarno Konfrontasi (1963 to 1966). According to him, the second in command to Tom Harrisson when Semut 1 parachuted into Bario in 1944, was a Kiwi, Captain Eric Edmeades. It was Edmeades who secured the surrender of the last of the straggling Japanese soldiers at Long Langai, in Ba Kelalan, months after the war had ended.

Edmeades started the Police Field Force out of the Sarawak Constabulary – skilful jungle fighters who did much for the security of Sarawak but, unfortunately, it seems that their deeds have often been taken for granted and may eventually be forgotten. How many of the bravest among them are interred at the Heroes’ Grave?

Reminiscences

During the luncheon hosted by the Malaysia New Zealand Chamber of Commerce after the ceremony, the veterans related their war time experiences.

There was a competition among the Commonwealth troops stationed here during the Konfrontasi. For instance, written on a ramshackle canteen by Bau lake, at a time when Bau was not the safest place to be, was this warning: “Ashes to Ashes – Dust to dust – if the Aussies don’t get you – the Kiwis must.”

The luncheon was supposed to be for the veterans from the Malaysian side and the visitors. I was qualified for a seat among the be-medalled retirees because I walk with the help of a cane. I was a veteran of sorts – yes, I was in uniform – that of the NZ Government Railways!

No New Zealand farewell party ends without the singing of one of the most popular Maori songs ‘Po Kare Kare Ana’ – about a beautiful girl by the waters of Lake Rotorua. And when they struck up ‘Now is the Hour’, everybody joined in, some in tune and some not.

We had a great time, and we’re looking forward to next year’s Kiwi visit!

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