MIRI: The International 80th Commemoration of Operation Semut Parachute Landing 1945 will take place on March 25 this year, at 10am at the Bario Memorial Park.
The event will pay tribute to the historic landing of Z Special Unit operatives in Bario during World War II, a mission that played a key role in the fight against Japanese forces in Sarawak.
Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration, and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala announced that the commemoration will feature a special re-enactment of Operation Semut I Insertion at the original drop zone in Bario.
The re-enactment will be conducted by the Malaysia Sports Parachuting Association (MASPA), Payung Terjun Sarawak, and the State Fire and Rescue Department (BOMBA), with support from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) and the combined Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) parachute unit.
“We are honoured that Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts, has graciously consented to attend this significant event,” Gerawat said.
Veterans and their families from around the world are also expected to travel to Bario to pay homage to the operatives and local heroes who fought for Sarawak’s liberation.
Operation Semut was a covert Z Special Unit mission aimed at establishing contact with indigenous communities, training them as resistance fighters against the Japanese. On March 25, 1945, eight operatives parachuted into Bario, marking the start of an operation that would aid in the eventual liberation of Sarawak.
Since its inception in 2013, the annual commemoration has grown into an international event, drawing participation from veterans and their families from Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, as well as local and international military representatives.
The event will also feature a separate commemorative parachute landing re-enactment in Kuching on Mar 27 at Padang Merdeka, which will be graced by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
