The Trust today received a gift from Philip Mann, nephew of the late Bishop Peter Howes, who served in Sarawak from 1937 - 1981. Howes was a close friend of the Tuan Muda, Bertram Brooke. Siding with Bertram against a Colonial takeover in 1946, his loyalty to Sarawak and to the Tuan Muda was remembered when Bertram died in 1965. He bequeathed to his old friend a metal box with the Brooke coat of arms, along with the line: "as a slight token of past friendship, of gratitude for his courageous support at a very critical time and of admiration for his incessant and valuable work for the welfare of the peoples of Sarawak during many years". The metal box was kept by Peter for almost 40 years until his death in 2003, when it was left to his nephew. Today, reflecting on a 70 year old act of friendship, duty and courage, Philip has passed the metal box into our care. Contained within are 7 scrolls, translations of the Bible that Peter hid inside bamboo shoots at Batu Lintang as a prisoner of war. It is amazing to think of the history one little box can hold - two lifetimes of service to Sarawak, the trials of the Japanese occupation, the heartbreak of cession, and the friendship of two good men who each devoted their lives to the good of Sarawak and its people.
26 February 2016
