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BARIO (April 1): The highland community here gathered in solemn reverence last Saturday to mark the 81st anniversary of the Z Force parachute landing of 1945, an event that reshaped Sarawak’s history and opened the remote Kelabit Highlands to the outside world.
Organised by Rurum Kelabit Sarawak in collaboration with the Miri City Council and government agencies, the annual commemoration honours members of the Z Special Unit and the alliance forged with indigenous communities during the final days of the World War II (WWII).
The event was officiated by Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Sebastian Ting Chew Yew, representing the Sarawak government.
The historic parachute landing under Operation Semut I marked the beginning of a close partnership between Allied forces and the Kelabit people, who used their knowledge of the terrain to support guerrilla operations against Japanese occupying forces in Borneo.
Rurum Kelabit Sarawak president Dato Isaac Lugun said the landing was a turning point for the highlands, citing the late Tom Harrisson’s account in ‘World Within’, which described Bario as a “closed world” before the operation.
“The Z Force landing opened up the Kelabit Highlands to the world outside it,” he said.
Isaac likened the descending parachutes to “engkabang fruit drifting in the wind,” saying the moment marked the beginning of a profound connection between the remote highlands and the outside world.
He added that the two key legacies of the period were education and faith, which had transformed the community over the decades.
“Education became the foundation for the Kelabit community to flourish, and the Christian faith provided a moral compass,” he said.
This year’s programme included memorial ceremonies, cultural performances, exhibitions and reflections from community leaders and guests, with organisers emphasising the importance of passing the history to younger generations.
From a remote interior settlement, Bario has since gained international recognition, with its wartime story forming part of Malaysia’s national heritage.
