Ricky Masirin, Valerian Joannes get posthumous Commendation medals for “devotion to duty” during Sabah quake; four other Malaysians recognised as well. The Singaporean government declared June 8, 2015 as the Day of National Remembrance following the Sabah earthquake.

Mount Kinabalu guides honoured on Singapore National Day

SINGAPORE: Mountain guides Ricky Masirin and Valerian Joannes who died trying to bring to safety several Singapore primary schoolchildren from the earthquake-stricken Mt Kinabalu in June were honoured by the Singapore government yesterday.

The two guides were posthumously awarded Commendation Medals during Singapore’s National Day Awards for their efforts in trying to guide Tanjong Katong Primary School pupils to safety.

Photo montage taken from the internet.

The citation for the guides read: “(for their) Devotion to duty and exemplary conduct during the Sabah earthquake,” .

Muhammad Danish Amran, another Sabah guide who brought several pupils down the mountain to safety, was also honoured together with Malaysian Mountain Torq trainers Hajiris Sulomin, Hilary Hendry Augustinus and James Maikol.

The Malaysians were among 16 others who were honoured.

Among the Singaporeans given the medal were Tanjong Katong School teachers Mohamed Faizal, Joshua Tan, Nur Uzaimah Fadzali, Lee Hui Jun, Carolyn De Souza and Roushan Amir Hussain.

The TKPS teachers who received awards for their devotion to duty and exemplary conduct (from left): Roushan, Hui Jun, Terrence Sebastian Loo (posthumouscommendation medal), Mohammad Ghazi (posthumous commendation medal),Nur Uzaimah, Joshua, Carolyn and Faizal. -- Photo courtesy of The Straits Times

Faizal, who teaches English and physical education, said modestly: “We weren’t doing anything extra. We were doing what is required of us as teachers, which is taking care of the kids under our charge.”