KUALA LUMPUR – “Semua ada baik” (all is well) – was the title of the original manuscript of “No Dram of Mercy” – a memoir by Sybil Kathigasu. This was the code she used to communicate with resistance fighters – the Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) hiding in the jungles during the Japanese Occupation of Malaya.
It was code to tell them that the coast was clear, and they could come out to seek medical treatment and collect medicines at the clinic in the quaint town of Papan. The clinic at No. 74, Papan Main Road was run by Sybil – a trained nurse and midwife – and her husband, Dr Abdon Clement Kathigasu.
The manuscript itself was published in English and subsequently translated and narrated in several languages, including Mandarin, Tamil, Japanese and French.
Speaking at the launch of the Bahasa Malaysia version in Ipoh, book translator Fahmi Mustaffa said what struck him most was Sybil’s faith and her devotion to God, Jesus and Mother Mary.
“This is a story of faith. The story of needing to believe. She did not intend to be a hero. She did what she needed to do to survive for her daughter without losing her faith – a much-needed quality today.
“We all pray (whatever our beliefs are), but she had unwavering faith that God would answer her,” Fahmi said.
According to her memoirs, Sybil, who was tortured and subsequently imprisoned, clung to her rosary while in prison, and upon her release, her first act was to crawl from the entrance of the church to the altar at St. Joseph Church, Batu Gajah, Perak, in thanksgiving.
The cover of “Kenangan Luka” – the title of the book in Bahasa Malaysia – depicts the plain, dilapidated and faded indigo blue wall of the shop house in Papan.
“We chose to have this as the cover because the walls of No. 74, Papan Main Road were silent witnesses to events depicted in the book, and to the strength and sacrifice of Sybil and her family.”
In his welcome address at the book launch, Bishop of Penang, Cardinal Datuk Seri Sebastian Francis said Sybil’s witness reminds us that our shared humanity is always stronger than our challenges and trials. Her courage and service extended to all.
“As such, her memory must not remain silent. It must live in our schools, our churches, our homes, and in the national conscience. In Sybil’s story, we see the seeds of solidarity between faiths, cultures, and history. Her life story, with all its nuances, is a heritage we must cherish and pursue,” he said.
In July 2024, the Diocese of Penang officially opened the cause for Sybil Kathigasu’s beatification and canonisation. This marks a historic moment – not only for Malaysia, but for the global Church. If canonised, Sybil would become Malaysia’s first saint.
Efforts to preserve, interpret and present the legacy of Sybil and her story are underway. Perak Heritage Society founding member and past president Law Siak Hong said the society has adopted Sybil’s legacy as a project.
“It is ongoing, we have collected items and belongings of Sybil from several individuals close to her, including the outfit she donned when receiving the George Medal for Gallantry in 1947 from King George VI,” he said, adding that there are also plans to restore the dilapidated shophouse.
After her release from prison in August 1945, Sybil was flown to London to be treated for the injuries she sustained as a result of torture at the hands of the Japanese soldiers.
It was there that she began writing her memoir. Sadly, she succumbed to septicaemia caused by the injuries she sustained and died at the age of 48 in June 1948. Buried first in Lanark in Scotland, her body was later transferred and buried at the Roman Catholic Cemetery of St Michael’s Church in Ipoh.
A panel discussion was held after the launch to present the different facets, deeds, writing style and personality of Sybil as seen by the contemporary research work of Prof Elsa Lafaye de Micheaux, together with French translator Dr Jean-Charles Khalifa, Malay translator Fahmi Mustaffa and Tamil author A.S. Francis.
‘Kenangan Luka’ can be purchased at Gerakbudaya and online at www.gerakbudaya.com.
It is also available in other online and retail bookstores, and gift shops of selected Catholic Churches, including Ipoh St Michael’s Catholic Church. – July 30, 2025