Australian and Malaysian leaders honour fallen heroes on Anzac Day

Remembering the heroes: Dr Subritzky (left) and Smith laying wreathes during the Anzac Day dawn service at the National Monument in Kuala Lumpur.

Labuan: More than 30 Australians and Malay­­sian leaders attended Anzac (Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) Day in Malaysia’s largest memorial service held at the Labuan World War II Memorial in Membedai here.

The Australians – delegates of the Borneo Exhibition Group Incorporated Perth Western Australia and next-of-kin of ex-servicemen – assembled as early as 5am yesterday for the dawn service for 3,908 war heroes from Australia, New Zea­land, Britain, India and the then Malaya.

The dawn service was conducted by Ryan Rowland, founder of the group.

Labuan Tourism Centre (Tourism Malay­sia) manager Nor Hidayah Mohd Nor said she felt that it was her duty to attend the service every year to honour the Anzac spirit.

Wreaths in honour of the fallen were laid at the Stone of Remembrance.

In Kuala Lumpur, Dr John Subritzky and Rod Smith, the High Commissioners of New Zealand and Australia to Malaysia respectively, also laid wreathes during the dawn service at the National Monument. — Bernama