Edward presents the history of the Batu Lintang camp.
WHEN I was invited to attend a presentation of the history of Batu Lintang College, I was more than willing to respond as there is a link from the famous Batu Lintang POW camp during World War II after the Japanese surrender in 1945.
Most people and the students hardly know the background of its historical scene that continued until Malaysia’s formation in 1963.
Most students were amazed by the historical background of Batu Lintang that was never told or taught in school.
After Edward Mansel delivered a two-hour slide presentation of the history of Batu Lintang Campus Teachers Education Institute (IPGKBL), a student asked, “What Batu Lintang means to you?”
Edward said: “As Sarawakians, we should know our history leading to the formation of Malaysia. If you want to learn, one must be humble.”
Edward Lakin was born in 1942 to a Japanese-Bidayuh mother and English father, Francis Lakin Mansel, who was among Europeans executed by the Japanese during WWII in 1942.
He had served 35 years in the Research Branch of the Department of Agriculture, Sarawak.
After retirement, Edward became a freelance tourist guide and was appointed one of the panel members for the training of tourist guides. He has compiled a pictorial guide of Sarawak Cultural Village and an author of ‘Son of Sarawak’.
Defence Treaty
Great Britain fought various wars in Europe against other nations notably during World War I (1914-18) and again in WWII (1939-45).
The Rajah of Sarawak, Sir James Brooke, and his successors contributed to Britain’s two war efforts at various times, most notably during WWII.
In return, the Rajah expected Britain to take over all responsibility for the defence of the kingdom and the cost of it. It was for this reason Britain dispatched the 2nd Battalion 15th Punjab Regiment, based in Singapore, for the defence of Sarawak.
The regiment was raised in India as part of the British Indian Army, comprising mostly European officers and Indian nationals—Sikhs, Punjabi, and others.
Their duties were to defend the Miri oilfields and, in the case of Japanese invasion, to destroy all important installations that could be useful to the enemy.
The 2nd Battalion 15 Punjab Regiment was tasked with the defence of Sarawak.
The regiment arrived in Sarawak on Dec 21, 1940 and its base was in Batu Lintang (site of the present IPGKBL).
Japan’s primary interest in Miri was to secure and exploit the oilfields for its war effort. The Japanese invasion of Borneo was driven by the strategic importance of the region’s oil resources.
The Secretary of Defence in Kuching received reports that the Japanese forces had landed in Brighton beach in Miri on Dec 16, 1941 and had scaled up Tanjong Lobang to reach the lighthouse where they killed the lighthouse keeper.
Japanese army in Miri, Seria oilfields
The Japanese invasion of Miri and Seria was a swift and decisive move to secure vital oil resources, highlighting the strategic importance of Borneo during WWII.
A detachment of around 150 Japanese oil engineers was included in the invasion force to restore and operate the Miri and Seria oilfields.
The Japanese invasion of Borneo began with landings at Miri and Seria on Dec 15, 1941, securing oilfields and airstrips. A week later, the main invasion force advanced towards Kuching. The British had already destroyed the airfield in Kuching before the Japanese arrived.
Despite resistance from the Punjab Regiment and the Sarawak Rangers, the Japanese made rapid progress.
The Japanese captured Kuching after fierce fighting with British and Indian troops, and many European officers were interned in Batu Lintang camp.
The Allies continued fighting until April 1, 1942 when they were ordered to surrender. The Japanese occupation of Kuching and much of Borneo lasted until the end of the war in 1945.
Batu Lintang POW camp
The Batu Lintang camp (also known as Lintang Barracks and Kuching POW camp) was a Japanese-run internment camp during the Second World War. It was unusual in that it housed both Allied prisoners of war and civilian internees.
The camp, which operated from March 1942 until the liberation of the camp in September 1945, was housed in buildings that were originally British Indian Army barracks.
The original area was extended by the Japanese until it covered about 50 acres (20 hectares).
The camp population fluctuated due to movement of prisoners between camps in Borneo, and as a result of the deaths of the prisoners. It had a maximum population of some 3,000 prisoners.
It was the headquarters for all camps in Borneo under the command of Colonel Suga. Among the remains of the camp are the Punjabi Barracks building, a flagpole, an ammunition bunker, and two memorials.
The POW camp at Batu Lintang in 1941.
From POW camp to education institute
On Sept 11, 1945, the camp was liberated by the Australian 9th Division under the command of Brigadier Tom Eastick DSO, Commander of the Kuching Force from South Australia.
Every year, a ceremony commemorating the liberation of this camp is held at the IPGKBL History Museum.
This institution was established in 1940 as a school by Sarawak Malay Training College located at Madrasah Melayu Building, Jalan Jawa, Kuching.
After the end of WWII, the college was reopened in 1947 with a total of 19 trainees from Sarawak, Sabah, and Brunei.
On July 1, 1948, the students were transferred from Jalan Jawa to the Batu Lintang ex-POW camp—renamed Batu Lintang Training Centre and School.
The Malay Training College was reopened in 1947.
Conclusion
As an observer, I see the importance of IPGKBL in not only producing thousands of teachers but also having a historical background.
During WWII under Japanese occupation, this was the first underground university in Malaysia. This reflects the historical moments started by a few POW night-time studies, ending with the awarding of degrees to the participants.
This is the first teaching institution in Sarawak and one of the earliest in Malaysia, and is a good opportunity to promote heritage tourism and Sarawak to the outside world.
One trail at Bako National Park was cleared by former Batu Lintang student teachers in 1957 and named ‘The Lintang Trail’.
The Mini Museum brings many descendants of WWII from Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
The Batu Lintang Memorial Square in Kuching commemorates the Allied POWs and civilian internees held at the Batu Lintang camp during WWII. The camp housed a diverse group, including British and Australian officers and soldiers, Dutch officers and soldiers, Indonesian soldiers, and civilian internees such as Roman Catholic priests, nuns, and British and Dutch civilians.
In 2006, the Batu Lintang college was officially upgraded and known as Batu Lintang Campus Teachers Education Institute.
Batu Lintang Teachers college is a historical learning institute which holds many memories. I thank Edward Mansel for most of his information.
Today (Sept 11), descendants of prisoners from Australia are expected in Kuching for a historical commemoration event.
* Freelance writer Jennie Soh is secretary to the Society of English Writers Northern Zone in Miri and has published two books, ‘Frolic Fantasy vs Feisty Facts’, and ‘Memoirs of “Z” Special Unit in Bario’.
The post What Batu Lintang means to you? appeared first on Borneo Post Online.