Ceremony honours local heroes who fought alongside Semut commandos
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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Borneo Post
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Global volunteers join hands to help preserve China's heritage
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The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
How tin toys geared up manufacturing success
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In 1994, his interest turned into a mission after visiting the legendary Japanese tin toy collector Teruhisa Kitahara in Yokohama. Kitahara's meticulously curated collection stirred a sense of urgency in Chan to try and preserve a chapter of China's nascent manufacturing past. "Seeing his collection, carefully curated over more than 20 years, left me deeply shaken," he recalled. "As a Chinese, I suddenly realized that these seemingly simple toys carried the memories of an entire era. I felt it was my responsibility to preserve this cultural heritage." Hong Kong to Shanghai As an international business hub, Hong Kong in the 1960s and 70s had a wide selection of toys from around the globe on sale. Japanese tinplate robots, American action figures, mechanical toys made on the Chinese mainland, and locally manufactured plastic figures shared the same shelves in the city's toy stores. "All of these toys made up the most wonderful fragments of my childhood memories," Chan said. One toy in particular, remains unforgettable — a Japanese-made wind-up tin Ultraman Chan's parents gifted him after he did well in a school exam. "Its red and silver figure, with a head that could turn, made me very happy. Every time I wound it up, it felt like I was fighting alongside Ultraman to protect peace in the galaxy. That toy was priceless to me," he said. Inspired by the romanticized version of Shanghai he saw in the classic Hong Kong TV drama The Bund, Chan went to the city in 1998 and 2008, he split his time between Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore, researching Chinese toy history and exploring manufacturing partnerships. In 2005, he launched the Museum of Shanghai Toys in Singapore, displaying his collection of over 2,000 toys made in Shanghai from 1910 to 1970. But the opportunity he had been waiting for arrived in 2008, when a tin toy factory in Shanghai was seeking a collaborator. Chan decided to relocate to Shanghai and devote himself to reviving the city's fading tin toy industry. Later, he took over a tin toy factory and founded the Saint John company, designing and manufacturing items himself. Shanghai has long been a toy manufacturing powerhouse, according to Chan. By the 1950s, Shanghai's tin toy industry was flourishing — technically innovative, nationally influential, and export-driven. Companies developed new metal toys that went beyond the wind-up models of earlier decades, injecting new vitality into a rapidly evolving market. In 1965, Shanghai's tin toys were showcased internationally at China's first toy exhibition in Hong Kong. The products delighted children across the globe with their clever mechanisms and imaginative forms. Even by the early 1980s, tin toys remained a dominant force in Shanghai's toy market. "From an artistic perspective, vintage tin toys — both the toys themselves and their packaging — often featured hand-painted art," Chan said. "The vibrant colors, smooth lines, and clever construction gave these toys not only charm, but real artistic value." Profitable hobby Growing up in Tianjin, Sun Yonghao was shy and introspective and different from the other kids in his neighborhood. But when the clock struck six in the evening, the bookish child would rush to the living room to watch his favorite cartoons. The iconic Japanese series Gundam, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and first aired in 1979 with its towering robots and epic battles in space, left an indelible mark on the young boy's mind. The Gundam robots, detailed and powerful and each with their own rich backstory, felt like something straight out of a dream. "It wasn't just about the robots," Sun recalls. "It was the entire universe they created — the battles, the stories, the characters. There was a depth to it that I hadn't seen in other cartoons." As the years passed, his love for Gundam only grew stronger, evolving from childhood fascination into something that would shape his entire future. In the summer of 2002, at the age of 15, Sun finally realized a long-held dream. After saving his pocket money for an entire year, he had 220 yuan ($30.65) and made his first-ever purchase, an electroplated TV Wing Gundam Zero model. That Gundam model became Sun's most treasured possession. It wasn't just something he displayed on a shelf — it became a part of his identity, a tangible connection to his childhood passions. After completing his studies, Sun entered the automotive industry, where he worked for 13 years. As his career progressed and his income grew, so did his collection. Today, Sun owns over 2,000 Gundam models, which have cost him more than 1 million yuan. 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Just having them on display at home makes me feel good. It's a way for me to release my emotions," said Zhang, who started collecting toys in of his favorite series is from the animated movie franchise, Toy Story, which he described as "a world full of fun". He said thanks to the rising popularity of designer toys, many manufacturers have made many toys and figurines, or collectibles, that are from his childhood. Zhang has released 10 series of toy designs, including Yibeiji, featuring a chicken image inspired by his zodiac animal, the rooster, and Crazy Botanical Garden, featuring animated images of various plants. "I created those images out of pure personal interest and I didn't expect fans to love them," he said. "The world needs toys, and so do the grown-ups, because who can live without joy and a little fun to pursue?" After the green frog Beyond their mechanical beauty, tin toys were cultural touchstones. For children born in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, toys like the ubiquitous wind-up hopping green tin frog were like old friends. Today, Chan is partnering with artisans and designers in Shanghai to breathe new life into these toys. His creations honor the past but are made for the present — beautiful, functional, joyful objects creating memories for a new generation. He is also the vice-president of the Shanghai Putuo Collectibles &Heritage Association, which was launched in 2002. The association is committed to the popularization of folk art collections, and the promotion of collecting cultural items as diverse as comics, transportation tickets, and toys. On June 1, the association launched a new organization, the Research Committee of Modern and Contemporary Toys, to promote the inheritance and innovation of toy culture for a new generation. It plans to collaborate with academic institutions and collectors to jointly delve into and widely spread toy culture, according to Chan, who is the director of the new branch association. Chan leads the in-depth exploration of toy history, the refinement of cultural values, the organization of themed exhibitions and academic seminars, "all to enhance public recognition and dissemination of Chinese toy culture", he said. The collectible toy market has entered a stage of explosive growth, according to the 2021 China Collectible Toy Industry Market Insight Analysis, released by Analysys International, a company that focuses on internet sales and products. The boom is driven by the rapid growth of Chinese residents' income and the collectible toy market. It's dominated by intellectual property with a focus on product design and platform-based channel operations, the report said. In recent years, the annual growth rate of the Chinese collectible toy market has remained above 35 percent. It is expected that by 2025, the market size will exceed 150 billion yuan. The report also pointed out the difference between collectible toys and designer toys. Collectors focus on rare or vintage toys, often seeking to complete a set or own valuable items, such as older action figures, model cars, or dolls. Designer toys, or trendy toys, such as blind boxes, often represent limited-edition collaborations with well-known brands, pop culture icons, or artists. They are marketed to a younger audience that values exclusivity, innovation and trendiness. "Some types of designer toys experience only brief popularity and fade away over time — they're trendy for a moment but are soon forgotten. Others, however, manage to stand the test of time and become classic collectibles that are appreciated and sought after by people of all ages," the report said. Chan was more philosophical, saying people are always trying to explain why everyone likes toys. "But sometimes, it's simple. We like them because they make us happy, and that's enough," he said. - China Daily/ANN
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Exploring Hamburg's many repurposed World War II bunkers
You can easily overlook it, the entrance to the Tiefbunker (deep bunker) Steintorwall located right next to Hamburg's central train station in Germany. Guests at a Turkish snack shop must shuffle their chairs aside before Michael Richter, using a hydraulic lift, can raise the metal floor plate. Once removed, it reveals 35 steps leading down into the depths. 'You won't get down there only in flip-flops or high heels,' Michael's wife Sonja warns. 'The steps are shorter and steeper and don't meet German norms.' And it's advisable to take a jacket along, what with temperatures steady at 12°C. The Richters, one up front, the other at the back, lead their group through the gloomy labyrinth. In no other German city were so many bunkers built during World War II than in Hamburg. More than 1,000 are documented, with about half of them being smaller tubular or tube bunkers. After the war, many of the bunkers went unused. Rock bands found them useful as a place to practice. One bunker was converted into a cocktail bar. The Tiefbunker Steintorwall was built by slave labourers during the war. 'But they weren't allowed in when the air raid sirens went off,' Richter says. After the war, the bunker served as a restaurant and hotel. After October 1964, it was re-outfitted as an 'ABC' – atomic, biological, chemical warfare – bunker. Kanne showing visitors to the bunker the remains of a melted gas canister. Bunk beds Everything that you see here is Cold War, Michael Richter says. It starts with the counting system which noted each person entering the bunker. The bunker consisted of two facilities, each with a capacity for 1,351 people. Once that number was reached, the special system automatically shut the doors, '... no matter if a child or maybe your partner was still outside,' Richter says. The large room was filled with rows of seats, five or six per row. The guidelines for waiting out an attack dictated '16 hours sitting, eight hours lying down'. Each row of seats had a bar of soap, a plate, a cup and spoon for each person. 'But no knives or forks – nothing that could be used to injure someone else.' And who would have slept, and where, in the bunk beds dubbed 'sleeping beauty', Richter is asked. 'This is a topic that you shouldn't dwell on for too long, for it would then raise other questions,' he says. After 14 days at the latest the bunker keeper was to put on a protective suit and go out to look around. 'He had a short-wave radio and could listen to what was going on outside.' The toilet One tubular bunker that people can enter is in the district of Hamm, east of the downtown area of Hamburg which was destroyed to 96% by the 'Operation Gomorrha' Allied bombing raids of July 1943. It was one of four tubular bunkers hidden beneath the garden of a church. 'Almost nothing was left standing here after the air raids,' says Stephanie Kanne, a historian who heads the Hamm district archives. During a tour of the bunker she answers visitors' questions, including where people slept ('seated on one of the wooden benches') or what they ate ('whatever that they brought') or toilets ('down at the end of the tube'). The four tubes provided protection to 50 persons each against bomb fragments and falling debris, but not against any direct hits. What people sitting below ground must have felt during the 1943 firestorm above? 'We cannot even begin to imagine,' says Kanne. The ruins of this shelter were converted into an energy bunker in 2010. — BODO MARKS/dpa Tourist attraction Hands down, the best-known example of the repurposing of a bunker is the anti-aircraft bunker in the St Pauli district. It was one of the largest ever built. Officially, it could take in 18,000 people, but during the July 1943 inferno, clearly more took refuge there, says city guide Tomas Kaiser. After the war, the British occupiers decided against trying to blow up the massive concrete monstrosity. Starting in 1990, the bunker was converted into a media centre while it also housed a renowned music club called Uebel & Gefahrlich (Evil & Dangerous) as well as a 'resonance room', the first club in Europe devoted to classical music. Then, between 2019 and 2024, five further floors were built on top, providing room for a convention hall and a hotel with restaurant, cafe, bar and shop. Today, the bunker is two colours – gray below, green up above. Thousands of perennial plants, bushes and trees were planted on the five new floors. The climb is rewarding. Once on top, there is a panoramic view of the nearby St Michael's Church, the sparkling new Elbphilharmonie concert hall, the bustling Elbe River harbour, and the surrounding neighbourhood. Only when first-division football club FC St Pauli hosts a home match in the Millerntor Stadium next to the bunker is the 'Bergpfad' closed down – nobody could reach it among the throng of football fans. A St Pauli bunker has this view of the Millerntor stadium. The Energy Bunker In addition to the anti-aircraft bunker in St Pauli, there is another one in Hamburg, located on the Elbe River island district of Wilhelmsburg. As part of the International Building Exhibition, the war ruins were converted into an energy bunker in 2010. During a guided tour, you can get to know the heart of the facility, with a 20m heat storage tank in the middle holding two million litres of water and supplying all connected households in Wilhelmsburg with heat when needed. You can also visit the Cafe Vju in one of the four anti-aircraft towers without a guided tour. From 30m up, the distant view of the Hamburg skyline is in no way inferior to the panoramic view offered by the bunker in St. Pauli. – WOLFGANG STELLJES/dpa
