Keeping watch: An Australian soldier and a Malaysian Naval personnel standing guard during the Anzac Day dawn service at Sandakan Memorial Park.
KOTA KINABALU: Alban Joseph Lagan (pic) was a seven-year-old child when he watched more than 2,000 POWs being marched by Japanese soldiers past his home near St Mary’s Church in Sandakan.
“They were beaten, starved and made to suffer. I remember the noise, the marching, the singing at three o’clock in the morning,” he said of what was later dubbed the Sandakan Death March.
Worse, Alban’s own father, Ernesto, who helped Australian and British soldiers who escaped from the Japanese, was betrayed and arrested. He was later shot dead in Kuching for his role in aiding the escapees.
Alban is now 90, but he still remembers those painful days and makes it a point to come back to Sabah for the Anzac Day commemoration.
“Every year, I come back here because I want peace. I am grateful to those who sacrificed their lives to bring peace to this land,” he said at the Sandakan Memorial Park during Anzac Day’s dawn service.
“I forgive the man who betrayed my father. Maybe he thought he could save himself. Maybe he wanted to survive too. We must forgive if we want peace,” he said.
Anzac Day, observed on April 25, honours Australian and New Zealand soldiers who served and died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
Alban was among some 300 people – including Australian and New Zealand families, local residents, diplomats and school groups – who gathered to pay their respects at the site where the Sandakan Death Marches began.
More than 2,400 Australian and British soldiers were forced to march nearly 260km from Sandakan to Ranau between 1942 and 1945. Only six survived.
Alban
Most died along the way from starvation, disease or were executed. Those who tried to escape depended on the bravery of local villagers who risked their lives to shelter them.
This year’s Anzac Day ceremony also saw the unveiling of an interactive memorial gallery at the park, offering a more personal glimpse into the lives of those who perished and those who helped them.
Delivering Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor’s message, Sandakan MP Vivian Wong said Sabah would always remember the suffering, courage and humanity shown during one of the darkest chapters of World War II.
“The legacy of those who lived and died during that terrible time is a lasting bond between our peoples,” she said.
Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia Danielle Heinecke said Anzac Day remains one of the most sacred days of remembrance for Australians and New Zealanders.
“We remember those who gave their lives for our freedom and the locals who helped them, risking their own lives,” she said.
Danielle Heinecke said the new gallery, which features digital exhibitions, survivor testimonies and archival materials, will provide families and visitors a way to connect with the past.
“We hope it brings more Australian families here to Sandakan to remember and learn,” she said.
Yesterday, as the sun rose over the park, the haunting sound of the Last Post echoed through the trees, followed by a moment of silence. Wreaths were laid by diplomats, military officials, family members and local dignitaries, as flags of Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia fluttered in the breeze.
For people like Alban, the ceremony was a reminder that their stories must never be forgotten.
“I will keep coming back as long as I am alive,” Alban said.
