FEARING that his late father’s wartime documents might be lost after his own death, Wei Kien Ming donated the treasured collection to preserve his father’s legacy.
The 65-year-old, who runs an air-conditioning business in Kuala Lumpur, travelled to Penang to attend a memorial ceremony at the Air Itam War Memorial Park honouring overseas Chinese volunteer drivers and mechanics who died during the war against Japanese aggression.
He handed over the documents belonging to his late father, Wei Tik Hui, to the Overseas Chinese Volunteer Mechanics Memorial Gallery at the Penang Philomathic Union (PPU).
Kien Ming said his father, who died 44 years ago, left behind numerous documents from his time supporting China’s resistance against the Japanese invasion.
Kien Ming had kept them carefully at home, but was increasingly concerned about their future.
“As I have no children, I worry that these precious documents may not be properly preserved after I am gone,” he said.
He hopes that the documents will help younger generations learn about his father’s wartime experiences.
“I hope my father’s contributions and sacrifices will not be forgotten as time goes by,” he added.
The memorial, held every Nov 11 at 11.11am sharp, drew representatives from a record 97 organisations, including political parties, clan associations, and schools in Penang.
Between 1939 and 1942, about 3,200 overseas Chinese from South-East Asia travelled to China to support the resistance against Japanese forces.
Known as Nanyang Volunteer Drivers and Mechanics, they served mainly as drivers, mechanics and technical personnel.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the sacrifices of those who lived through the Japanese Occupation must not be forgotten.
“For us, peace means being able to go to work or school and return home safely each day.
“But for those who lived through the Japanese Occupation, such ordinary lives were something they could only dream of,” he said.
Chow said Penang endured more than three years of suffering during the Occupation, making it important for younger generations to understand the hardships faced by their forefathers.
He said the volunteers transported supplies along the Yunnan-Burma Road despite treacherous mountain routes and bombing raids.
The Burma Road was a vital 1,154km wartime supply highway connecting Lashio, Burma (now Myanmar) to Kunming, China, built to break Japan’s coastal blockade during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
More than 1,000 volunteers never returned home.
Chow said visits to memorials and museums could help young people appreciate their sacrifices.
He added that the state would continue supporting efforts to preserve historical records, promote history education and organise memorial activities.
Penang Chinese Town Hall chairman Tan Sri Dr Tan Khoon Hai said, “We remember history not to prolong hatred, but to cherish peace.
“We remember suffering not to create division, but to prevent such tragedies from happening again.”
Memorial Monument management committee vice-chairman Khian Hock Leong said the 15m-high triangular monument, completed on Nov 11, 1951, marked its 75th anniversary this year.
The monument is located within the park in Air Itam.
Khian said the annual ceremony served as a reminder that peace should never be taken for granted, pointing out ongoing conflicts in the Middle East showed that the impact of war extended beyond the battlefield.
He said the committee preserved wartime records and personal accounts through historical galleries at the PPU in Macalister Road, George Town.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Lim Hui Ying urged Malaysians to safeguard racial harmony through mutual respect and understanding.
She also announced a RM10,000 allocation for this year’s ceremony.
Chinese deputy consul-general in Penang Ding Qiao said remembering wartime sacrifices was important in promoting peace and strengthening Malaysia-China friendship.
Also present at the event were Penang tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai, Air Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng, Batu Lanchang assemblyman Ong Ah Teong, Seri Delima assemblyman Connie Tan, Penang MCA secretary Yeoh Chin Kah and vice-chairman Tan Chuan Hong, and Penang Gerakan chairman Oh Tong Keong.
