On Wednesday, 16 September 2020, a small Ceremony was held at the Pukeahu National War Memorial to mark New Zealand’s involvement in the Malayan Emergency (1948-60) and Malaysia’s Confrontation with Indonesia (1964-66). The Malayan Emergency arose out of an attempt by the Communist Party to overthrow the British colonial administration of Malaya. New Zealand forces made an important contribution to the Commonwealth’s efforts to defeat the communist insurgency. In 1964, New Zealand helped the new federated state of Malaysia to resist Indonesian President Sukarno’s Confrontation Campaign to destabilise Malaysia’s North Borneo Territories of Sarawak and Sabah. The New Zealand roll of honour records 20 service personnel as having died on operational service during the Malaya and Malaysian Campaigns. (Source: NZ MFAT).

The Minister of Justice (Hon Andrew Little) laid the wreath on behalf of the New Zealand Government while Mr Brett Hudson (MP) represented the Opposition Party. Other wreaths were laid by the Malaysian High Commissioner (HE Ms Nur Izzah Wong Mee Choo) on behalf of the Malaysian Government, Air Marshal Kevin Short on behalf of the Defence Force and the Samoan High Commissioner & Dean of the Diplomatic Corps (HE Leasi Papali’i Scanlan) on behalf of the Corps.