PW_1_2024

IPA News

Off Grid in Borneo David Turner, Thames Valley Branch My granddaughter, Rebecca St Ledger, is 21 years old, and in her second year at university studying zoology. Last year she went to an island in Scotland for a week, which in hindsight, seemed an easy trip. This year she was offered a study course in Sandakan, Borneo with other students from her university. This entailed a flight from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur, an overnight stop at Sandakan, before travelling upriver into the rain forest. Unfortunately, due to miss-communication, we discovered her team were arriving 24 hours after her arrival in Sandakan, which is a very small Malaysian Island. At Sandakan, phone contact ceased and we were unable to speak to her until she reached Sandakan airport on her return. Her mother was apprehensive about the trip, with a young girl being left to her own devices. So, at this point I approached the International Police Association, in Nottingham. Cathy Key, at IPA HQ put us in contact with Jack Tam, President of Section Malaysia, who came back straight away. E-mails and messages flowed, and as a result, my granddaughter was met by Rosalyn a Police Inspector at Sandakan airport, who got Rebecca through immigration and safety delivered to her overnight hotel. Over and above Roslyn met her in the evening, showed her around and took her to dinner. The following morning Roslyn again took her off to visit a couple of temples, and the oldest Catholic Church in Sandakan before delivering her safely to her team at the airport. This shows the true meaning of our world-wide police family.

Rebecca and Roslyn

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POLICE WORLD Vol 69 No.1, 2024

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