Sybil Kathigasu (1899-1948) is a Eurasian Malayan who supported resistance during World War II, during the time when Japanese invaded Malaya. Sybil is the only woman to be awarded with George Medal for her bravery. She is a trained nurse and also a midwife. Her husband, Abdon Clement Kathigasu is a doctor who owns a clinic located at 141, Brewster Road (now known as Jalan Sultan Idris Shah), Ipoh. They later escaped to a nearby town named Papan.

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     Sybil and Abdon have two children together, and adopted a son. Their new residing place is at 74, Main street of Papan. Sybil keeps a short wave radio (Josephine) and listened to BBC broadcast secretly. The Kathigasu supplies medicine, medical services and information to anti-Japanese or better known as Guerillas. In 1943, they stopped when they got arrested. 

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     Sybil was tortured and interrogated by Ekio Yoshimura and the most painful torture was a hard hit on Sybil’s backbone, which left her half paralyzed. She was mentally abused when they tend to hang her daughter on a tree full with ants. Yoshimura placed a barrel of fire and threatened Sybil to tell about Guerilla, or her child would die. She was also kicked in the jaws which resulting her partially disfigured. She was later being thrown into the Batu Gajah jail.

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     In 1945, after Malaya was liberated, Sybil was flown to Britain for medical treatment. There, she began to write her memories. Sybil received the George Medal award for bravery (highest award) from King George VI of England before her death in 1948 at the age of 49. She was buried in Scotland but her body was later returned to Ipoh, and was buried at a Roman Catholic Cemetery, located next to ST. Micheal’s Church.