SK Heng: Glorifying past Japanese invaders in a Warrior Monument a betrayal to Nation

-PH govt owes Msians a public apology & those answerable should be sacked

How much has Pakatan Harapan government reduced Malaysia to being ingratiated towards Japan via the samurai bonds loan that they refrain from censuring the Kedah state government after its Tourism Exco Dato’ Mohd Asmirul Anuar Aris officiated a ceremony honouring Japanese invaders who planted bombs to blow up the Alor Setar Bridge and in the subsequent war years, decimated thousands of innocent rakyat and Allied Forces prisoners of war then?

Malayan women forcibly made into sex slaves

Representing MCA’s women’s wing, we are dismayed that this monument turns a blind eye to the scantly known systematic sexual slavery which the Japanese invading forces maintained in Malaya besides China and Korea, the last one being globally acknowledged. MCA in the past, via our Public Complaints and Services Department had championed the cause of Malayan “comfort women” by urging the Japanese government to compensate our Malayan women for this sexual abuse which even targeted teenage girls.

A govt event which jeopardises bilateral ties with China & Korea

Mohd Asmirul’s clarification that his ribbon cutting was not done by the state government nor did the government play a role in writing the account of how the Japanese Imperial Army soldiers died in 1941 is an unbelievable, stupefying excuse. His presence there as a Kedah Exco indicates he represents the state government. What more, the event was jointly organised by the Japanese Consulate in Penang along with the Museums Board (these two entities representing the Japanese government and the Malaysian government respectively), and the Kedah History Society.

Considering that Malaysia had reinitiated negotiations with China on the ECRL, and that the President Moon Jae-In from the Republic of Korea just made a state visit to Malaysia a fortnight ago, and that both nations suffered tremendously under the Japanese Occupation, Malaysia also risks offending these two East Asian giants by allowing the historical account to remain other than a semantic switch from “heroes” to “soldiers.”

Moreover, surely the Tourism Exco’s aides would have noticed the wordings on the event banner which clearly read: “Majlis Perasmian Tugu Wira Jepun / Opening Ceremony Japanese Warrior Monument.” They should have known wiser by advising that not only must the Tourism Exco stay away from the event, but insist that the wordings be changed to indicate an invasion, the assault intended to destroy a bridge to sever transport and communication in Kedah/Malaya and with the Allied Forces.

Insincere lexicon adjustments

While the Kubang Rotan state Assemblyman attempts damage control by removing the monument to change the word “heroes” to “soldiers”, this is hypocritical and still glorifies invaders.

A simple apology for his grave blunder and complacency on his aides’ part in failing to check the wordings of the event banner, or sourcing for more information based on the banner’s details, can help sooth public outrage. But no, Mohd Asmirul’s obstinacy has left him without compassion in comprehending the atrocities inflicted unto the victims, their families and the destruction and mayhem wrought unto our tanahair both on the Peninsular and in East Malaysia.

Multiracial Malayans suffered

It is not only the Malayan Chinese who were tortured, raped, burnt alive, beheaded, executed and homes and towns pillaged. Besides Colonel Lim Bo Seng of Force 136 whose broken body was left in an unmarked grave in Batu Gajah Prison, the Kempetai also brutalised Leftenan Adnan to death for defending our land. Although my fellow Perakian Sybil Kathigasu who provided intel to the Malayan resistance, and her daughter survived the Japanese Occupation, Sybil never recovered from injuries sustained during interrogation and was left in a weakened state in lifelong pain.

Thus, as an Exco of the Kedah PH state government who officiated the event to honour invaders, Mohd Asmirul has committed an act of betrayal against the rakyat, their ancestors and our tanahair.

Datuk Heng Seai Kie
Wanita MCA Chairman

-MCA online-