(Kota Bharu) For the Vietnamese once known as boat people who fled by sea at the end of Vietnam War, the visit to Malaysia is a trip to pay tribute to their loved ones during Qing Ming Festival and express gratitude to fellow Malaysians after they start a new lease of life in foreign countries.

A total of 41 Vietnamese from Canada, United States, Australia and other parts of the world returned to Malaysia to observe Qing Ming Festival from 3-7 Apr, where they gathered in Kuala Lumpur then charted a bus to visit cemeteries in the coastal area in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johor to offer prayers for fellow Vietnamese who passed away as refugees and buried in local non-Muslim cemeteries from 1975 to early 1990s.

They visited Bidong island off Terengganu, an island used to be one of the refugee camps to house the boat people pending their applications to migrate to western countries on humanitarian ground.

They also paid a special tribute to local businessman, the late Alcoh Wong by visiting his grave in Merang, Terengganu on 4 April.

Wong is a businessman active in MCA and community work who took the initiative to compile the records and traced the cemeteries of the Vietnamese after he came in touch with some of them, who returned to Terengganu in early 2000s, a place once served as a transit point in their lives.

By speaking to village heads, community leaders, buddhist monks and the seniors in the Chinese community, Wong subsequently published a book on the Vietnamese Boat People in 2004, which later became an important guide for the Vietnamese to trace the location and names of the graves.

Unfortunately, Wong passed away two years later and only a small number of Vietnamese had the book.

The Vietnamese had never stopped visiting the cemeteries over the years during Qing Meng Festival and Wong’s wife Teo Beng Lay subsequently involved as a contact person for them.

Teo became the co-ordinator for their visit to the cemeteries and temples in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor  and Bidong Island this year where she helped to organise the logistics and liaise with authorities.

This year, community leaders, Chinese information officer under the PAS government, village heads who had helped Wong to compile the records many years ago were invited to attend appreciation dinners held in Kuala Terengganu on 3 April, Kota Baru on 5 April and Kuantan on 6 April.

Some brought along gifts for Teo to handover to locals who helped them when they were refugees.

Van Nguyen, 73, a Vietnamese now living in Sydney, Australia, said he visits Malaysia more than 20 times since 2005.

Originated from Ho Chi Minh City, he recalled 150 people from different parts of Vietnam leaving the country in several boats back then.

Many were in Bidong Island while he spent eight months in Batam, Indonesia.

Teo said one of them in the delegation was born in the Sungai Besi refugee detention camp.

It was reported that about 252,390 Vietnamese refugees landed in Malaysia and 4,535 babies were born in Malaysia.

Now, many of the Vietnamese referred Teo as “mama” as she helped them with refurbishing of the graves and tombstones.

“I see helping the Vietnamese as an incomplete task left by my husband for me,’’ she said.

Teo recounted many touching moments when accompanying them to the cemeteries.

“They kneel down before the grave the moment it is identified as a grave of the Vietnamese. They return to visit the graves regularly over the years,” she said.

Some continued to contact Teo whenever they came to Malaysia.

Outside Malaysia, Teo met some of them in United States, Vietnam and other places whenever she travelled.