MIRI: Sarawak commemorated the79th anniversary of the historic Semut landing in Bario on Monday.
It was when eight paratroopers under the Z Special Unit of the Allied Forces – ‘Semut 1’ – led by Tom Harrison descended in Bario on March 25, 1945 to liberate the region from enemy occupation during World War II.
The commemoration ceremony in Bario was attended by Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala, Rurum Kelabit Sarawak president, Dato Dr Philip Raja, retired veteran politician Tan Sri Leo Moggie Irok, Pelagus assemblyman Wilson Nyabing Ijang, and Warrant Officer from the Australian High Commissioner Kuala Lumpur, representing the Commonwealth Defence Force, David McNamara.
“Our Kelabit community is grateful to the members of the Special Z Force for starting the liberation of Sarawak from Bario and incidentally bringing the modern world to the Kelabit community,” said Gerawat.
He said, the exposure to the modern world and western military warfare created a new horizon for the community and inspired them to explore beyond their closed world.
“It also opened new possibilities which the local community had never envisaged before which the late Tom Harrison wrote about in his book titled “ The World Within” which some of you may have read,” he said.
“For those of us who are not old enough to have witnessed the event 79 years ago, let us remember and reflect on the significance of this event.
“Our forefathers volunteered to fight with the Z Force to liberate our country from occupiers…they believed in protecting our freedom and peace and were prepared to sacrifice their lives for us, their future generations.”
Meanwhile, Dato Dr Philip Raja said the Kelabit community is proud to celebrate this historic moment about which many books had been written.
“The historic landing reminds us that peace and prosperity we enjoy today is due to the sacrifice of others before us,” he added.
