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PAS To Govt: Where's The RM207 Billion Owed To 'Death Railway' Workers?

Friday, 04 January 2013

Pix: dugup.co.ukKUALA LUMPUR: Japan has claimed that it has already paid out compensation money to the Malaysian government for citizens forced to work on the infamous Thailand – Burma ‘Death Railway’ during World War II. However, PAS claims that none of the RM207 billion paid out by Japan has reached the victims. In a report in Harakah Daily, the Japanese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur confirmed that they had handed over compensation money to Malaysia which was to be given to the laborers. The embassy’s deputy secretary Takaharu Suegami said to their knowledge, the sum was handed over way back in the 1990s. “Based on information we received, the money was already handed over in the 1990s. “We will refer to Tokyo after this (for further information),” he said yesterday. When asked on who had received the money on Malaysia’s behalf, he said he did not know. “We do not know exactly how the Malaysian government distributed the compensation money,” he said. However, Takaharu pledged to consult Tokyo on the matter, based on documents obtained. This was the outcome of a visit by Jejak – a secretariat formed to track down former Malaysian ‘Death Railway’ forced laborers – to the Japanese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Nizar Jamaluddin telling ‘death railway’ victim Hashim Yaacob that the federal government is still keeping RM207 billion money meant as compensation for the hard laborers of the 400km-long railway during World War II. Pix: sisibukit.blogspot.comThe delegation was led by Datuk Seri Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin. He was accompanied by deputy PAS Youth chief Dr Raja Iskandar Al-Hiss; Jejak operations chief Safarizal Saleh; as well as representatives from the Former Workers and Next-of Kin of The Siam-Burma Railway 1942-1946 Construction Welfare Association. Previously, Nizar had in the Dewan Rakyat claimed that the Japanese government had paid out RM207 billion to the Malaysian government in compensation for the forced laborers. He claimed that until today, none of that money has been distributed by the government to the victims, or their next-of-kin. In yesterday’s visit, Nizar had asked the Japanese authorities to provide information as to when and how compensation was paid to the laborers, as well who had confirmed the receipt. In the hour-long meeting, Nizar also asked the Japanese to provide a name list of Malaysians who had become forced laborers on the railway from 1942 to 1946. “We met with the Japanese embassy representatives today to confirm whether the information we obtained is accurate, or otherwise. “If the Japanese still possess a list of names of the laborers, we would like to have it,” he said. Nizar, who is also Bukit Gantang Member of Parliament, also released several letters of confirmation and official documents to the embassy representative. One of the letters from the Finance Ministry, dated March 29, 2011, contained the words: “We are pleased to inform that an allocation of RM207 billion has been received, under government approval, in which the process has been informed to the Attorney-General’s office and the Human Resources Ministry.” Nizar said, until now, Jejak still do not know where the compensation money is; whether it is under the care of the Treasury or Amanah Raya, as no explanation has been forthcoming from the government. “We don’t know. If the money is still in the care of the government, why hasn’t it been given back to the victims? There were around 30,000 victims, some of whom are dead. “But they still have next-of-kin as noted by the Former Workers and Next-of Kin of The Siam-Burma Railway 1942-1946 Construction Welfare Association. According to the association’s records, from the 30,000 workers, 60 percent were Malay; 20 percent Indian; 15 percent Chinese, with other races making up five percent. Nizar, who is also PAS’ central committee member, said from the RM207 billion compensation, each family is estimated to receive around RM3 million each in compensation. It was claimed that since the association was registered on January 11, 2011, it has repeatedly tried to obtain the compensation money from the Malaysian government, to no avail. The Thailand-Burma Railway, better known as the ‘Death Railway’, stretched 415km from Bangkok, Thailand, and Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon, Myanmar). It was built by the Japanese Empire during World War 2 to support its troops in the Burma campaign. The 180,000 Asian laborers and 60,000 Allied prisoners of war who worked on the railway faced inhumane conditions, with many working until they died. It is estimated that around 116,000 people died in the construction of the railway.