MIRI: The Ministry of Tourism, the Creative Industry, and Performing Arts commended Jennie Soh, a member of the Society of English Writers Northern Zone Sarawak, for her newly published book about the Second World War.
The book, titled “Memoirs of ‘Z’ Special Unit in Bario,” is supported by the Facilitation Fund for Arts, Culture, and Heritage under the ministry.
During the book-launching ceremony, permanent secretary of the ministry, Datuk Sherinna Hussaini, praised the book and its contribution to the Borneo War Memorial Trail.
She noted that the heritage trail connects the war histories of three Malaysian states on Borneo Island, namely Sarawak, Sabah, and Labuan, and showcases war memorial sites as a tourism product under the memorial trail package.
Sherinna highlighted the importance of not forgetting the sacrifices made during the Second World War and how the Borneo War Memorial Trail enables the present to reconnect with the past.
“Under this memorial trail package, war memorial sites in Sarawak, Sabah, and Labuan are packaged as a tourism product.
“The Borneo War Memorial Trail enables the present to be reconnected to the past, so that we should not forget about the war and cherish the peace and harmony we have now,” she said during the Memoirs of “Z” Special Unit in Bario book launch at Gymkhana Club yesterday (March 18).
On the same note, she acknowledged the bravery of local heroes who voluntarily helped the British, Australian, and New Zealand troops throughout their military mission in the interior part of Sarawak.
She expressed hope that more people will learn about the history of Sarawak during the Second World War through this book.
The book, which compiles stories from diaries written by officers and soldiers of the allied forces, is about the stories of the ‘Z’ Special Unit in Bario.
The bravery and sacrifice of the local heroes are acknowledged in the book, and their stories will be remembered and cherished.
The 78th anniversary ceremony of the ‘Z’ Special Unit and their fights will take place on March 25 in Bario.
This event commemorates the sacrifices made during the Second World War and honours those who fought for peace.
As such, Soh hoped that the book would benefit the community by demonstrating that history should be documented and encouraging local writers to write Sarawak’s own history.
