In a strong British accent, William Hammington, 73, a British war veteran, expressed his feelings towards Malaysia, regarded by most war veterans as their ‘second home’ after having resided in the country in the early years of post-independence.
Hammington served in then-Malaya as an army sergeant from 1957 until 1965.
Approached by reporters after attending the National Day celebration at Merdeka Square today, Hammington said he was excited to see such a captivating event, which brought back memories of the first Merdeka celebrations.
He was also in awe of the mammoth crowd which turned up for the celebration themed, ‘Negaraku Sehati Sejiwa’, which was reminiscent of the earlier generations’ patriotism and unity at the time the nation gained independence.
“Back then, I was one of the witnesses of the memorable moment on Aug 31, 1957 but today, I’ve got the chance to be part of this historic event as I’ve been given the opportunity to march together with my former colleagues in front of thousands of Malaysians,” said Hammington, who joined his last operation in fighting the (communist) terrorists through the Tiger Operation of 1964.
Hammington said he was impressed with Malaysia’s rapid development and its various achievements since gaining independence, while adding that the country was also respected by others.
He was one of 60 veterans from Britain and New Zealand who served in the military in Malaya from 1940 until 1960, who took part in today’s march parade.
The war veterans arrived here on Tuesday and will be in Malaysia until Sept 12.
Meanwhile, former navy sergeant, Garry Cousin, 75, from New Zealand said he was mesmerised by the uniqueness and vibrant performances he witnessed during the celebrations today.
“Malaysia has great soldiers, beautiful places and many things and for that, they should be proud of the achievements of their past and current leaders who had struggled to give the best for this country.
“If I were given another opportunity to be part of this memorable event, I’d grab the chance for sure,” he said.
The country’s pre-independence era of Japanese rule and British colonialism, Malayan Emergency and historical episodes leading to the declaration of Independence were recalled in a three-hour performance during the celebration.
Maurice Mitchell, 81, a member of the New Zealand Malaya Veterans Association (NZMVA), said he felt proud to watch the performance and parade of the contingents at today’s celebration.
Having served in 1957 and 1958 in Penang, he said he was impressed by the harmony among Malaysians.
“It was like a dream to come back here to Malaysia, just to celebrate Independence Day, together with the people of this multiracial country. It shows that Malaysians have always been together and it must stay like this. People should be united so peace can live on for the next generations,” he told Bernama.
Mitchell arrived in Malaysia along with 27 other members of the NZMVA last week in conjunction with the National Day 2017 celebration.
Arjunaidi Ariffin, a veteran of the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) in Seremban, said he had come with his family to Dataran Merdeka as early as 6.30am, so as not to miss out on the historic parade and procession.
“The parade was most impressive. It raises one’s spirit of patriotism and love for the country,” said Arjunaidi, who served in the MAF from 1981 to 2002.