KUALA LUMPUR: Solemn rain accompanied this year's Remembrance Day Service as it returned to Tugu Negara after a two-year hiatus.
The event drew members of the diplomatic and defence communities, relatives of service members, as well as the general public, to honour those who served in both World Wars and other conflicts.
The annual event, held on the Sunday nearest to Armistice Day on Nov 11, saw ambassadors, high commissioners, defence attaches, and representatives of the armed forces and veterans' associations gather to pay tribute to service personnel and civilians.
Acting British High Commissioner David Wallace, speaking at the event, reminded attendees of the importance of the event.
"It is a moment to pause and honour others' service and sacrifice rather than our own trials and tribulations," he said.
Wallace shared his experiences of attending Remembrance Services across South Korea, Germany, and Poland over the years.
"Each had local stories of battles fought, lives lost, and freedoms won. They all shared a common theme – a duty not to take peace for granted," he added.
Having participated in the ceremonies in Labuan, Batu Gajah, and Taiping over the past two years, Wallace expressed his satisfaction that this year's service could return to Tugu Negara.
"This is a special place for remembrance in Malaysia. As it says on the main memorial, it is to remember those who fought heroically 'in the cause of peace and freedom'," he added.
Readings of war poetry were conducted by veterans, including 'In Flanders Fields' by Maj Gen (Rtd) Datuk Zulkifli Mazlan and 'The Soldier' by Col (Rtd) Theodore Mohan Kumar Navaratnam.
The ceremony was also accompanied by a moving choir performance by The International School @ Park City, which included 'I Vow to Thee, My Country,' a staple of Remembrance Day services throughout the Commonwealth.
The service concluded with two minutes of silence and the traditional laying of wreaths at the base of the monument, a solemn tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of peace.
Remembrance Day is not to be confused with Warriors' Day, which is held annually on July 31 in commemoration of the end of the First Malayan Emergency.