By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, March 25: The re-enactment of the Operation Semut Parachute Landing 1945 today honours soldiers from Britain, Australia, and New Zealand as well as local heroes who fought for freedom.
According to Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, the soldiers’ bravery led to Sarawak’s liberation from Japanese occupation during World War II (WWII) and paved the way for Sarawak to become the State that it is now.
He said this during the officiation ceremony of the International 80th Commemoration of Operation Semut Parachute Landing 1945 at the Bario Memorial Park today, where his text speech was made available to the media.
The event, which was held for the first time, saw the attendance of Australia’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Danielle Heinecke; New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia, Mike Walsh; and British Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia, Tom Shepherd.
It also involved the participation of the Australian High Commission, the Royal Malaysian Air Force, and the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba).
He said the Sarawak government also recognised the significance of the event as a second re-enactment will be held at Padang Merdeka in Kuching on March 27, with Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg expected to attend.
Touching on war memorials, Abdul Karim said that it could shed light on the history of conflicts and honour those who have served, adding that it has become an important tourism activity.
“In Malaysia, there are many war memorials set up to honour those who fought for our freedom. These are now much visited, and many veterans and their families attend the ceremonies associated with the memorials and are important tourist attractions,” he said.
Abdul Karim also said he was glad to see that the Bario Memorial Park has established itself as an important venue, adding that the event highlights its importance as a place to pay respects and remember those who served.
Operation Semut was a covert mission carried out by the Z Special Unit during WWII, with eight operatives parachuting into Bario on March 25, 1945.
Their objective was to establish contact with the indigenous people, train them as resistance fighters, and disrupt Japanese forces in Borneo. — DayakDaily
