A memorial stone placed over the graves of World War II heroes in 1943 in Malaysia has been discovered.
The stone was recently found at the St Thomas’ Anglican cemetery in the city of Kuching in the Malaysian state of Sarawak.
Residents came across the stone plaque during All Souls Day last year and reported it to the authorities.
After cleaning it up, an inscription was revealed, dedicated to the memory of Allied prisoners of war buried there with the date ‘Easter Day, 1943’.
The memorial stone had become lost under overgrowth and nobody knew it was there.
According to Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) heritage adviser Datuk Lim Kian Hock, the buried prisoners of war were Australian soldiers sent to the Batu Lintang camp from the Sandakan camp, both Japanese internment camps in 1942.
St Thomas’ is said to have been the cemetery for all Anglican Christians whereas Catholics were buried at St Joseph’s cemetery.
Datuk said the inscription was probably done by nuns also interned at Batu Lintang, which housed both Allied prisoners of war and civilians.
The number of Allied prisoners buried at St Thomas’ cemetery is unknown as the graves were reportedly exhumed and moved to the Commonwealth War Cemetery in Labuan in 1946.
Lim also said discussions were taking place with the church to restore and preserve the stone marker.
He added: “We think it is best to leave it at the cemetery as that was the place where the prisoners of war were buried.
“It’s a peaceful place now. We suggest providing some space for people to pay tribute and improving the path to the memorial stone.”
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Story By: Maja Mishevska, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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