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Sandakan: The newly-constructed timber walkway at the Sandakan Memorial Park (Sibuga Forest Reserve) was officially opened by Forestry Department Director Datuk Sam Mannan, Saturday.The walkway connects with the Contemplation Area, which last year was erected on the site of the former RSL Memorial Plinth.

It provides a beautiful and tranquil approach to the main pavilion and information centre.

The Sandakan Memorial Park commemorates more than 2,200 Australian and British Prisoners of War (PoW) held captive in camps in Sandakan during World War Two.

In one of the great tragedies of the war, only six of them, all Australians, survived the war.

The project was initiated to correct inaccuracies on the panels of the 1985 Returned Services League (RSL) Memorial which was brought to the attention of the Office of Australian War Graves (OAWG) by Mannan.

Construction on the new walkway commenced in late January 2012.

Sabah Forestry and the Sandakan Municipal Council provided valuable assistance to the project, which was undertaken by Hewitt Pender Associates on behalf of OAWG.

The Sandakan Memorial Park will once again be the site for a ANZAC Day Dawn Service commencing at 5.30am on April 25, expected to be attended by hundreds of Australians, British and Sabahans.