Malaya and Borneo Veterans Day CommemorationKuching, Sarawak – 27 August 2026

Contributed by RW Bro LtCol (Retd) Russell Stuart

Members of the Province of South East Asia were privileged to participate in the 2026 Malaya and Borneo Veterans Day commemorations in Kuching, marking the 60th anniversary of the end of the Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation and the restoration of peace between Malaysia and Indonesia in 1966.

RW Bro LtCol (Retd) Russell Stuart, CSC, Provincial Grand Master of the Masonic Order of Athelstan, Province of South East Asia, together with WBro Dr Alvin Lum of Seri Menanti Court No. 152, attended the commemorative services and laid wreaths on behalf of the Order.

The principal commemoration was held at Brooke Hall and Memorial Square, Institute of Teacher Education, Batu Lintang Campus, and formed part of a significant gathering of Government representatives, veterans, serving personnel, community leaders and guests from throughout the region.

It was a particularly moving occasion and an important opportunity to stand alongside the Veteran organisations of Malaysia and the wider Commonwealth in remembering all those who served during the Malayan Emergency and the Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation.

Above all, we remembered those who did not return.

Their sacrifice, and that of the families who bore the cost of their service, helped give succeeding generations the peace, freedom and way of life that we enjoy today. It is a debt that can never adequately be repaid, but one that must continue to be acknowledged with gratitude, dignity and respect.

The ceremonies included the traditional Last Post, a period of silence and the reading of the Roll of Honour — simple but powerful reminders that, although the events commemorated now belong to history, the service and sacrifice of those involved must never be allowed to fade from our collective memory.

The commemorative programme also provided an opportunity to renew friendships with Veteran groups and to strengthen the ties that exist between the Masonic Order of Athelstan, the ex-Service community and the wider community in Sarawak.

In a small but worthwhile way, our participation also supported one of our continuing aims within the Province: to increase public awareness and understanding of Freemasonry through respectful participation in the communities in which we live. Such occasions allow us not merely to speak of our values, but quietly to demonstrate them through remembrance, fellowship and service.

The day concluded with a commemorative dinner at the Grand Riverine Ballroom in Kuching, bringing together Government representatives, Veterans and invited guests. It was both a privilege and an honour for Athelstan Brethren to be present at what was a major gathering of the Veteran community in Malaysia.

We remain deeply grateful to the Veteran organisations of our region for the welcome and friendship they continue to extend to us, and above all to those men and women whose service — and, for some, ultimate sacrifice — helped shape the peaceful world we have inherited.

Lest We Forget.

In the photographs:

Commemorative Service – Batu Lintang Campus, Kuching, 27 August 2026

Front row, left to right: LtCol (Retd) Russell Stuart; LtKol (Retd) Dunging Serit, MAF; Assistant Commissioner of Police Alexson Naga Chabu, PDM; and Lt Gen (Retd) Datuk Stephen Mundaw, MAF.

War Memorial Square – Batu Lintang Campus, Kuching, 27 August 2026

Left to right: Gurkha Cenotaph Guard; Col Dale Parker, New Zealand Defence Attaché; Col Jim Green, United Kingdom Defence Attaché; two RAR veterans who served in 1964 and 1965; LtCol (Retd) Russell Stuart, PGM PSEA; Gp Capt Belinda Edmunds, Australian Defence Attaché; and two Gurkha Guards.

Wreath of Remembrance

RW Bro LtCol (Retd) Russell Stuart, Provincial Grand Master, Province of South East Asia, pictured with the Masonic Order of Athelstan wreath laid in tribute to all who served, and in particular to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

These photographs provide a fitting record of a solemn and significant occasion, and of the strong bonds of remembrance, fellowship and respect shared among veterans, serving personnel, representatives of the Defence community and the Masonic Order of Athelstan.