BY RASHEEQA BAHIDA & NEVILLE TIMOTHY SANDERS
KUCHING: A monument commemorating Sarawak’s liberation from Japanese Occupation during World War II was unveiled here today, standing as a lasting tribute to the sacrifices of soldiers and civilians.
Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng said the monument was not merely stone and steel but a testament to the sacrifices of Allied forces, Sarawakians who resisted and civilians who endured immense suffering during the war.
“This monument tells our younger generation that freedom is never free. It warns us that war devours humanity and charges us to safeguard peace with unbreakable resolve,” he said.
Wee added that since independence, previous leaders had carried the torch of progress, shaping the state into one of harmony and prosperity.
“It is now our solemn duty to defend and nurture what has been handed to us,” he stressed.
He also underlined MBKS’s commitment to preserve history by reviving the Padungan Clock Tower’s original role as a World War II memorial and to develop a Heritage War Trail connecting Batu Lintang, Padungan and Pending.
“This is not just a monument for us, but for those who came before us and those yet to be born. May it stand as a sentinel of freedom, a voice of unity and a proclamation of peace,” he added.
Wee thanked Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian for his unwavering support and Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah for championing heritage-based initiatives.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner Simon Fellows, representing the High Commissioner, recalled the historic moment on Sept 11, 1945, when the final instrument of surrender was signed aboard HMAS Kapunda in the Sarawak River.
Brigadier General Thomas Eastick accepted the surrender from Major General Hyoe Yamamura of the Imperial Japanese Army.
Fellows noted that on Sept 9, Michael Eastick, grandson of Brigadier General Eastick, presented the original 1945 Japanese surrender document to the Sarawak government, accompanied by a large delegation including Lieutenant Morgan Eastick.
He also highlighted the role of the 9th Australian Division during Operation Oboe Six, which secured Brunei Bay and led to the liberation of British North Borneo from Japanese occupation.
“On June 10, 1945, the division’s 24th Brigade landed on Labuan Island while the 20th Brigade landed at Brunei Point, paving the way for the eventual liberation of Kuching and the release of prisoners of war and civilian internees at the Batu Lintang camp.
“Although the landings were virtually unopposed, the campaign involved costly engagements, with 114 Australians killed and approximately 1,400 Japanese soldiers killed,” he said.
He added that the liberation of Batu Lintang camp and the prevention of a planned massacre remain among the division’s most significant achievements.
Fellows emphasised that the division’s contribution was so deeply valued that its colour patch was later incorporated into the coat of arms of the new Colony of British Borneo in recognition of its service.
“This is one of the many ways in which the stories of Australia and Malaysia are inextricably bound.
“Both our countries share a long and meaningful history and I am proud to be here with you today as we remember and honour the events of 1945,” he said.
