22 January 2013| last updated at 12:04AM
REMEMBERING WORLD WAR 2 FIGHTERS: Helen Yong from Canada among those who pay their tribute at Petagas Memorial Park
KOTA KINABALU: HELEN Yong travelled all the way from Canada to be at Petagas Memorial Park, near here, for its 64th commemoration ceremony yesterday.
The memorial honours 176 guerillas from Sabah, who were killed fighting the Japanese army in 1944 during World War 2.
Her grandfather, Lim Thien Fong, was among those who perished.
Yong said before this she had put the thought of the incident at the back of her mind as it affected her emotionally.
"It was terrifying to imagine a civilian, like my grandfather, being dragged out of the house and killed by the Japanese army," she said, adding that she had recently decided to face reality.
Yong, who was accompanied by her mother, Merry Lim, was among hundreds who attended the ceremony.
During World War 2, the guerillas were led by Albert Kwok and they had fought the Japanese following the fall of Sabah (then North Borneo) to the Japanese Imperial Army in January, 1942.
Survivor Lee Min, who comes to the memorial park on Jan 21 every year, was spotted looking at a memorial plaque with the names of his friends and relatives who died engraved on it.
"My head was nearly decapitated by a Japanese sword, not once but twice. However, the Japanese released me as I was very sick during those moments.
"I was only 21 then," said Lee, a grandfather in his 90s.
Present at the ceremony were state Deputy Chief Ministers Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai, Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir and State Assembly deputy speaker Datuk Johnny Mositun.
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