Forgotten, unkept war memorial of Sg Lui

Forgotten, unkept war memorial of Sg Lui
K Kabilan Malaysiakini
Dec 16, 06 11:26am



About 35 kilometres from Bahau town in Negri Sembilan, on the way to Temerloh, Pahang, lies a World War II memorial dedicated to a massacre of some 400 local Chinese villagers by the Japanese occupiers.

The memorial, located about 20 metres off the main road, offers a snapshot from the past on the cruelty of the Japanese army, especially to the Chinese Malaysians.


According to a signboard at the memorial, about 400 Chinese men, women and children from Kampung Sungai Lui were killed brutally by the Japanese forces in the early hours of Oct 8, 1942.

However, looking at the sad state of the memorial, one would not be wrong in assuming that the tragic loss of life of these innocent civilians were in vain.

Malaysiakini visited this memorial on T hursday and found it be totally unkept and not maintained.

Broken signboards

Lallang bushes were rampant while o! vergrown grasses covered the mass grave and its surrounding. The entire memorial premises were littered with used plastic bags, cigarette butts and packs and old newspapers.

While there is a signboard indicating that the historical site is a short distance away, we found a notice board at the site itself with two different versions of events.

Two other signboards were vandalised and not replaced. The memorial stands seven feet high, with a narrative of the tragedy written on it in red paint.

It was evident that there are still some visitors offering prayers to the departed but their offerings were left to rot there.


In short, this memorial looks like a forgotten thing from the past, just like the 400 people buried there.

There are no indications at all as to who is responsible to maintain this site.

Caught at roadblocks

The local story goes that the Japanese military commandants, based in Bahau, were angry with the local population for killing their informers.

These local villagers were also accused of giving assistance and provisions to the Communist guerrillas.

The Japanese high ranks ordered roadblocks along the main route and all those who were stopped by the army that day never made it home.

The bodies of the victims were buried in one large hole, which is now the site of the memorial, which actually looks like a large tombstone.

An Internet entry on the memorial states that a group of Japanese visitors visit this memorial annually on Dec 23.

Typical attitude


Renown historian Professor Emeritus Dr Khoo Kay Kim expressed disappointment over the lackadaisical attitude shown by the authorities in maintaining such historical sites.

“What is the National Museum and the Malaysian Historical Society doing,” he asked when contacted.

“This is a typical Malaysian attitude. Unless there is a big fuss over it to draw their attention, nothing will be done,” Khoo added.