KOTA KINABALU – Prominent Sabah tourist guide Tham Yau Kong is set to be conferred an honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) from Queen Elizabeth II for his contributing services in relation to the World War 2 Sandakan-Ranau death march route.
The honour, bestowed to non-British citizens, is the third highest ranking order of the British Empire Award.
Humbled by the gesture, Tham told The Vibes he received the news from the British high commission here on Valentine’s Day.
Tham, who presently operates the Padas Farmstay in Tenom, had provided a guided tour of the Sandakan-Ranau death march on August 15, 2020 for a delegation comprising members from the British and Australian high commissions following a request by both parties.
The date, he said, was significant as it marked the 15th year anniversary of the opening of the Sandakan-Ranau death march route, with a virtual memorial service held to commemorate the loss of 2,434 Allied prisoners of war (POW)s during the Japanese occupation.
Despite hurdles such as the movement control order and travel restrictions, Tham said he managed to guide them successfully through the route.
“I had guided them initially through the first series of routes from Beluran to Kg Muruk, before putting up for the night at Sabah Tea Garden.
“Throughout the guided tour, I provided a full detailed briefing to the delegation.
“On August 16, we continued our walk across Marakau Hill, and visited the death march’s last campsite and the Kundasang War Memorial in Ranau before concluding the tour,” he said.
Tham said he was also given a letter of appreciation from the Australian high commission in April last year.
“This was very direct to our effort to keep the spirits of the World War 2 POWs alive and remembered,” he said.
It is learnt that Tham will be presented the award by British high commissioner Charles Hay as the queen’s representative at his residence in Kuala Lumpur.
Tham said that relatives of the World War 2 prisoners of war would visit the trail annually, while members of the British Armed Forces would participate in a full trek for the 240km route in 11 days, and Australian civilians would opt for a six-day trek involving 110km.
According to several history sources, the Sandakan death marches involved a series of forced marches between Sandakan to Ranau which resulted in the deaths of 2,434 Australian and British POWs by the Japanese army during World War 2.
The first series of marches involved 470 prisoners between January and March 1945 which took nine days up the eastern slope of Mount Kinabalu from Sandakan, with minimal rations.
Only six survived the initial march.
The second series of marches started on May 29, 1945 as 536 POWs were made to march
However, only 183 POWs safely reached Ranau after 26 days.
The final march began on June 9, 1945, with the Japanese sending 75 men for the purpose.
However, none survived beyond the first 50km due to exhaustion and malnourishment. Those who had initially made it were shot to death by the Japanese forces.
In the end, only six Australian soldiers had survived as they had managed to escape successfully. – The Vibes, February 17, 2022
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