The National Malaya & Borneo Veterans Association

From first meeting the Malaysians at their Embassy in Dublin, our contact with the Malaysian community has flourished immensely with several Malaysian students from Queen’s University attending the “ Pantridge” Memorial Service and parade . This parade and service is sponsored by Lisburn City Council in honour of Professor Frank Pantridge CBE,MC., a freeman of the City.

Frank Pantridge was a Major in the R.A.M.C. and was captured at the fall of Singapore and duly worked on the Burma Railway and was one of very few survivors . On his return he became professor of medicine at Queens University Belfast and it was he who invented the “Portable Diffibrulator” that is in common use nowadays .

The service was led by Revd Canon Rajkumar Sathyraj, supported by Mrs Alison Cadden playing the organ with the ladies of Seagoe Parish Church choir in beautiful harmony. Wreaths were laid by The Right Worshipful Mayor Councillor Brian Heading, Col B Bennett, MBE., and Mr Ron Moore.

All the Malaysian students were in National Costume as well as our Ghurkha guests . The Malaysian national flag was carried by Raja Roslan Raja Mohamed , the Great Grandson of the Sultan of Perak and supported by Sabariah Eni , a Phd student at the University of Ulster.

Through this excellent meeting with the students ,we have gone from strength to strength and were invited to meet all the Fresher students at Queens University , as well as the resident ones . This “Fresher’s” day was very successful in meeting new friends amongst the younger generation as well as some older ones such as Dr Raja Harun , an agricultural scientist and Grandson of the Sultan of Negri Sembilan . The younger ones were in awe of us “ old codgers ” and called us Warriors in helping their country. To follow this we were invited to meet the Malaysian High Commissioner from London at the Students own Society . Its now planned to hold a joint function with the two branches and the Malaysian Students to promote friendship between the two communities. We hope that the Malaysian students will become firm friends with both branches in Northern Ireland .

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