KUCHING: In line with the spirit of 50th Anniversary Commemoration of the peace accords on the ending of confrontation in the early formation of Malaysia in 1966, a retired British Royal Air Force (RAF), Master Engineer, Andy Muniandy, MBF, recently paid a visit here where he was deployed during the confrontation period in the country.
In a press statement issued yesterday, the Chairman of Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) Heritage Development Committee, Dato Lim Kian Hock revealed that after Andy’s commemorative lecture to Swinburne University Kuching, he visited the Heroes Graves Memorial Park at Jalan Taman Budaya, Kuching.
There, he was received by Lim and Exco Members of the Royal Malaysia Police Veterans Association, Kuching Branch.
Lim briefed Andy on the heritage development of the Heroes Memorial Park over the years and the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Confrontation and the historic installation of the commemorative plaques by the Special Air Services Australian (SAS) in 2015, Malaya-Borneo Veterans Association (MBVA) and 4 Royal Australian Regiment (4RAR) in 2016 and the New Zealand-Malaya Veterans Association (NZMVA) in 2017.
Besides the memorial monuments of the WWII Heroes Graves together with that of the Sarawak Iban Trackers/Sarawak Rangers and the Heroes Datuk Temenggong Kanang ak Langkau etc. These followed their visit to Batu Lintang WWII POW Memorial Square where Andy presented Lim with his book titled, HERCULES, the British well-known RAF Military Aircraft where he had been a team member.
Andy expressed that he was impressed with the development of the city added with its heritage of warm hospitality.
He added that he would visit the city next year in conjunction with the centenary (100 years) of the RAF Benevolent Fund founded by Lord Trenchard in 1919.
“Andy is proud as an active member of the fund beside his other involvement with the Royal Aeronautical Society, a remarkable progression of him as a humble Ipoh boy who dreamed of flying.
“Hence, he was bestowed the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1990 by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London,” said Lim.
