By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 8: In honour of Malaya and Borneo Veterans’ Day, Australian war veterans gathered to pay tribute to their comrades who served and died during the Malayan Emergency.
In a press release from the National Malaya and Borneo Veterans Association Australia (NMBVAA) South Australia & Northern Territory Branch, all Commonwealth military, police, and civilian forces, including Iban Trackers, who served and lost their lives in defence of Sarawak were also included.
The service, which is usually held on the Friday closest to Malaya and Borneo Veterans’ Day on Aug 31, was held earlier on Aug 7 instead to make way for the association’s upcoming Sarawak reunion pilgrimage later this month, which was also timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the end of Confrontation.
“Commonwealth patrols in Sarawak throughout 1963 to 1966 were supported by highly effective Iban Trackers. South Australian NMBVAA branch vice-president Don Cameron is a Borneo veteran of 1965. He served with 6 Platoon, ‘B’ Company of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment at ‘Bukit Knuckle’ near Kampung Gumbang, which was supported by six Iban Trackers,” said the press release.
It added that Cameron, who worked with Balling Ajong from Rumah Mangah on the Marirai Ballih River, and Unchat Unyong from Rumah Unyong on the Bena Sot River, placed a tribute in memory of the loyal Iban Trackers he had served beside six decades ago.
In addition, branch member Jeff Hiscock, who served with ‘C’ Company, 3RAR near Kampung Serikin in 1965, placed a wreath in honour of the fallen members of the Federation of Malaya Police, North Borneo Armed Constabulary, and Sarawak Constabulary, which later amalgamated to form the Royal Malaysia Police.
South Australian state president Major (ret’d) Paul Rosenzweig OAM JP also paid tribute to the eleven Australians who died in defence of Sarawak—eight on operational service and three after being evacuated. An additional five Australians died on operational service in Sabah.
“Rather than reflect historically on the waging of this undeclared war, today we commemorate 60 years of peace, and we honour the service and sacrifice of Australian and Commonwealth service and police personnel during the two undeclared Malayan wars,” said Rosenzweig.
The South Australian NMBVAA Branch has adopted a four-pronged approach to commemoration, promising to “Remember the fallen” and “Honour the living”. The other two pillars are “Remember Malaysia” and “Look to the future”
This year’s Malaya and Borneo Veterans’ Day service in Adelaide, South Australia, also saw the South Australian NMBVAA Branch adopting a four-pronged approach to commemoration—’Remember the fallen’, ‘Honour the living’, ‘Remember Malaysia’, and ‘Look to the future’.
This was reflected when guests placed books instead of the usual floral tributes, which are to be collected and donated at sites once occupied by Australian military forces during the Confrontation.
“One way the branch achieves this is through its sponsorship of schools in the Bau district of Sarawak where Australian forces had operational defensive positions during Confrontation. The books that were placed in Adelaide as tributes will be donated to these schools during the branch’s reunion pilgrimage this month,” said the press release.
Touching on the reunion pilgrimage, the Australian party will join their New Zealand and Sarawak counterparts in several activities, including a service of commemoration and wreath-laying ceremony at the Batu Lintang Memorial Square to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of Confrontation.
“Their sacrifice was not in vain, upholding the sovereignty of Sarawak. We will remember them. Lest we forget,” said Rosenzweig. — DayakDaily
