Saturday, September 01, 2007

Martyrs of Malaya's anti-fascist war honoured

At 10.00 a.m today, some 350 individuals and representatives from civil society organisations in Peninsula Malaysia, Singapore and China gathered at the Nilai Memorial Park to publicly honour and salute the 18 martyrs of the 1942 Battle of Batu Cave as well as all their fellow anti-fascist fighters of all ethnic communities and nationalities during the Japanese invasion and occupation from 1941 to 1945.

Australian government to build war monument in Parit Sulong

Aussie WWII veterans to attend memorial service in Malaysia

2 Comments:

Blogger John said...

I watched the Malay movie "Lt. Adnan" on TV on Merdeka night. It strikes me that there are no such movies that show the heroism or loyalty of the Chinese or the Indians to this country during WWII. Such movies can make young Malaysians of Chinese or Indian descent proud of their ancestors contribution to the defense of this nation.

I personally know a very elderly Malaysian Indian gentleman who is a WWII veteran. He was in a ditch together with some British soldiers, when a Japanese shell landed in it. He thought that he'd been hit, as he was drenched in blood. Instead, it was the British soldiers who were killed, and their blood was all over him. The Japanese then took this man prisoner and sent him to work on the infamous Bridge on the River Kwai. He was later taken to Changi shortly before the end of the war.

Like my friends story, there are so many untold story of the war, which should be recorded, before this generation passes on.

Incidentally, from what I understand, Indians made up the bulk of the tens of thousands of prisoners at the River Kwai. Yet, most Indians, not to mention Malaysians as a whole, in this country remain unaware of this. If anything, most think that only British, Australians or New Zealanders died there only.

12:15 PM  
Blogger Monsterball said...

There was much heroism and sacrifice in the MPAJA's resistance...but they can't be making a movie about communists, can they ? That would be the day in Malaysia...

A small number also joined the British commanded Force 136. A few Singapore-based researchers have written on their exploits.
This might interest you
Colonel Lim Bo Seng

Ah..Sybil Kathigasu...somebody must make a movie about her someday.

Sybil Kathigasu - A Malayan Heroine

10:01 PM  

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