KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia was never just another overseas posting for Group Captain Belinda Edmunds – it was the land of her grandmother’s birth, her family’s wartime survival and now, her own military service.
Growing up in Australia, she had long heard stories about her family’s roots in British-ruled Malaya but only understood their weight upon arriving here.
Her great-grandfather, a British civil engineer, helped build roads, bridges and aerodromes across Malaya and Singapore in the early 20th century.
His work was cut short during the Japanese invasion and occupation, when he was captured and imprisoned as a prisoner of war, enduring harsh conditions that claimed many lives.
At the same time, his wife and children, including Edmunds’ grandmother, who was born in Ipoh, fled Kelantan, eventually escaping by ship to Scotland.
They returned after the war to rebuild their lives.
Fragments of that past remain in old newspaper clippings Edmunds keeps, including one recounting how her grandmother, then a teenager, rescued stray dogs during a period of unrest.
“It was something I didn’t fully appreciate until I came here,” Edmunds said in an interview yesterday.
In 1999, the year she joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), an Australian F-111 aircraft crashed on Pulau Aur in Johor during a military exercise, killing two crew members.
She was in Brisbane at the time and recalled how the incident resonated widely, particularly as the pilots had just performed at a major air show there.
“It felt very close to home,” Edmunds said, noting that she later came to know the families of the crew.
Years on, her posting to Malaysia brought that connection full circle.
After becoming the first female Australian commanding officer at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Butterworth in 2023, she visited Pulau Aur.
Hiking through dense jungle, she joined a small group to clean the memorial plaque and pay tribute to the fallen airmen.
The experience, she said, was among the most significant of her career.
She was equally struck by the island’s small community, including schoolchildren who help care for the site.
“It’s incredibly special,” she said, adding that the visit included time with the students, bringing donations and sharing activities.
Her service in Malaysia extended beyond remembrance.
Stationed in Butterworth for two years, she worked closely with Malaysian counterparts, supporting operations and joint activities while building relationships.
Living in Penang with her husband and two daughters, she found herself drawn to the people.
“Everyone talks about the food, but for me, it’s the people,” Edmunds said, adding that her children settled easily into school and daily life.
“If we could stay here forever, we would love to.”
Now based in Kuala Lumpur as a defence attache at the Australian High Commission in Malaysia, she hopes to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, particularly in training, emerging technologies and security challenges.
Reflecting on her career, Edmunds advised young women to pursue a career in defence with confidence.
“It’s an incredible career. You build lifelong friendships and experience things you wouldn’t anywhere else.”
While acknowledging past challenges, Edmunds said progress had been made with greater inclusivity and support.
“I don’t see it as a male-dominated environment. I see it as a place with opportunities for everyone.”
