War cemeteries should be accorded highest respect, not vandalised: MACVA

KUALA LUMPUR: War cemeteries should be accorded the highest respect and not vandalised, the Malaysian Army Chinese Veterans Association (MACVA) said today.
"A war cemetery is the final resting place for war heroes who gave their lives for the liberation and sovereignty of the country.
"Therefore, it must be treated with utmost respect by every citizen of the country," said the association's committee member for public relations Capt (rtd) Dr Wong Ang Peng.
He described the vandalisation of war cemeteries as "most distasteful and akin to cultural meltdown displaying disparaging disrespect".
He was commenting on a news report that several tombstones at the Taiping War Cemetery, where remains of World War II soldiers were buried, had been broken into and vandalised recently.
"We in MACVA are very disappointed with the vandalisation since being veterans, we can appreciate how these heroes gave their utmost, their life for others to live in peace while not forgetting those who lost their limbs and being incapacitated in defending the sovereignty of the country," he said.
He said the public must realise that every war hero and veteran had served the King and Country with pride and valour.
"Thus a war cemetery is likened to a national heritage, a piece of national history.
"MACVA hopes the relevant authority would do all it can within its power to apprehend the culprits and mete out commensurable punishment to deter future incidents of such vandalisation," he added. — Bernama