TAIPING: Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, today thanked the management team of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) for managing and maintaining the Taiping War Cemetery here.
CWGC country manager G. Ghobu said Prince Charles mentioned this during the 40-minute visit to the cemetery, which was part of his maiden visit to Malaysia.
“His Royal Highness said he really appreciated that we have done our best to maintain the cemetery very well and asked whether we had any problems in doing so.
“We from CWGC are very proud to have had this visit by Prince Charles and are delighted to have had the chance to talk with His Royal Highness,” he told Bernama.
Prince Charles arrived at the cemetery, the final resting place for soldiers who died during World War II in then Malaya, at 1.20pm in a black limousine.
He was accompanied by the minister-in-attendance, Datuk Seri S.K. Devamany, who is deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, and Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
Prince Charles, attired in a beige suit, walked to the Muslim and Buddhist graves, laid a wreath at the Stone of Remembrance and observed a moment’s silence.
He also visited the Christian graves, laid a wreath at the Cross of Sacrifice and bowed before observing a moment’s silence.
Prince Charles met the CWGC manager and staff and then attended a meeting for about 30 minutes with the representatives of the National Malaya and Borneo Veterans Association under a tent near the cemetery.
He signed the visitors’ book before leaving by helicopter for an audience with the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, at Istana Iskandariah in Bukit Chandan, Kuala Kangsar. - BERNAMA