BAU: Six decades after serving in Sarawak, Australian veterans have returned to Stass to renew friendships forged during the Indonesia Malaysia Confrontation.
Deputy Minister for Transport Datuk Henry Harry Jinep described their return as an extraordinary homecoming to a community that continued to remember their service and sacrifices.
“I know coming back after six decades and making the effort to return with your families is something extraordinary,” he said when speaking at the National Malaya and Borneo Veterans Association Australia Inc Operation Hornbill 2026 Stass Chapter Reunion Dinner at the Kampung Krawong Stass Community Hall here on Monday (Aug 24).
Henry, who is also Tasik Biru assemblyman, paid tribute to the British, Australian, New Zealand, Gurkha and Malaysian security forces who defended Sarawak during the Confrontation.
He said members of the Third and Fourth Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment served in Borneo’s difficult jungle terrain, far from their homes and families.
Their courage and dedication, he added, helped safeguard Sarawak’s territorial integrity and laid the foundation for the peace and prosperity enjoyed today.
“The local communities around Bau, still remember and value your steadfast and professional service,” he said.
Their contributions also extended beyond military operations, with Australian Army engineers constructing the first motorable road linking Bau and Kampung Stass in 1965.
Henry said villages that once lacked proper roads, electricity, telephone lines and telecommunications coverage had undergone considerable transformation over the past six decades.
The returning veterans, he said, could now witness the progress achieved by the communities they once helped protect.
“So much has changed, but our hearts have not changed in welcoming you home,” he said, adding that the reunion provided an opportunity to reconnect, exchange stories and pass the veterans’ history to younger generations.
