Nan Qiao Ji Gong memorial breaks ground in Padungan to honour wartime volunteers, RM421k raised for project

By Amanda L

KUCHING, May 17: The Nan Qiao Ji Gong wartime volunteers’ memorial broke ground in Padungan today to honour Nanyang volunteers, including Sarawakians, who supported China’s resistance against Japanese aggression during World War II.

Speaking during the earth-breaking ceremony, MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said many young men from Kuching and across Sarawak had left their homes and families to serve as volunteer drivers and mechanics during the war, transporting supplies through dangerous mountain routes under constant threat of bombings.

“Some never made it home.

“Even in sacrifice, they left a legacy of courage, compassion and humanity that continues to echo across generations,” he said in his speech at the event today.

Wee emphasised that the memorial was also intended to serve as a reminder of the values demonstrated by the volunteers during times of conflict.

He further explained that Padungan was chosen due to its historical significance to Kuching’s Chinese community and its role in strengthening the cultural and tourism value of Kuching South.

Echoing this sentiment, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the memorial was significant not only in a historical context but also as part of Sarawak’s nation-building journey.

He said the courage and patriotism demonstrated by the Nan Qiao Ji Gong were values Sarawak needed as it continued its development efforts.

“As I always say, it is about what you can do for the country, not just what the country can do for you,” he said.

Dr Sim said more than 3,000 overseas Chinese from Malaya, Indonesia and Thailand had returned to China during the war to help build roads and railways, repair vehicles and transport supplies.

On the project funding, Wee said RM381,000 has been raised through sponsorships and donations from organisations, businesses and members of the public.

He added that Kuching, Samarahan and Serian Federation of Chinese Associations president Dato Sri Richard Wee Liang Huat had pledged an additional RM40,000, bringing the total to RM421,000. — DayakDaily

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