Ceremony honours local heroes who fought alongside Semut commandos
Gerawat (second left) presents a token to one of the recipients.
MIRI (May 5): A special ceremony was held in Bario last Saturday to honour Kelabit veterans and the families of local heroes who fought alongside the elite Z-Semut Special Force commandos during World War II.
Deputy Minister in the Premier's Department Datuk Gerawat Gala was present to deliver commemorative tokens to the recipients.
In his speech, the Mulu assemblyman said the Semut Operation had not only helped liberate the region but also transformed the lives of the Kelabit community by exposing them to the outside world and Western military culture.
'This resulted in many Kelabit men later joining the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Royal Malaysia Police after World War II,' he said.
He added that the event has also become a platform to educate the communities on the important role of the Z-Force special unit and local volunteers in the fight against Japanese forces during the war.
The ceremony was organised by Rurum Kelabit Sarawak in collaboration with the N78 Mulu Service Centre. army veterans gerawat gala lead World War II
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