Lessons from the Malayan Emergency

Professor Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
Learning Curve: Perspective
New Sunday Times - 8-9-2013

On the eve of the 56th Merdeka celebration, the History channel on Astro screened the documentary The Malayan Emergency that mirrored closely the theme Malaysiaku Berdaulat: Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku.

The two-hour programme took viewers back to the 1940s when the sovereignty of the then Persekutuan Tanah Melayu or Federation of Malaya was put to test and citizens risked their lives to defend the country from marauding enemies. The live film footages gave a deeper meaning to the phrase tanah tumpahnya darahku.

The Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA), which fought alongside their Malayan and Commonwealth counterparts to drive the Japanese intruders away, illustrated the way we can unite to protect our homeland.

The British even trained and armed the MPAJA during the later stages of the Emergency.

The show reveals the stark reality of allies turning into enemies as soon as the situation on the ground change. MPAJA had turned against its former "friends" just as the Japanese were defeated and showed its true colours as communists by supporting the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) led by Chin Peng.

Despite being disbanded and offered economic incentives, many MCP members refused to lay down their arms and went underground instead.

This led to the undeclared war against communist insurgents that lasted from 1948 to 1960.

The word "emergency" -- as opposed to "war" -- was chosen so as not to lose out on insurance coverage of any economic losses suffered by the rubber plantations and tin mines. Interviews with former insurgents added more insights into the communists.

Although almost all of them are of Chinese heritage, it is not about ethnicity as it was always assumed.

The communists dealt severely with anyone who stood against them, many of whom were Chinese as well.

Indeed, it was related that it took a Chinese to better deal with the communists, and this was adopted as a key strategy to defeat the insurgents through intelligence gathering.

That said, Malayans of other ethnic groups, especially the Malays, formed the backbone of the country's defence since many of them were averse to communist ideology.

There was even an attempt to attract more Malays to communism by establishing the so-called 10th Regiment but the effort was short-lived. Tanah tumpahnya darahku is a principle to live by, not a mere slogan.

It was not until 1951, when the Malayan-British army launched a "hearts and minds campaign" after facing several setbacks, and it helped to turn things around. Eventually the insurgents were isolated. After being denied food and vital resources such as medicine, they went even deeper into the jungles.

By 1955, Tunku Abdul Rahman as Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya issued a declaration of amnesty to the communists, without any negotiation or compromise.

Those who gave up the communist ideology and were loyal to the Government of Malaya were helped "to regain their normal position in society and be reunited with their families".

This privilege was withdrawn in February 1956 following the breakdown of talks between the Tunku and Chin Peng.

The counter-insurgency went on for another four years before it was declared over on July 31, 1960 by an independent and united Malaya.

There is no doubt that the emergency and the fight against the communists highlight the meaning of merdeka.

It is about a united nation with a population that single-mindedly resolves to protect the sovereignty of the country, especially its birthplace.

This enables the people to rally behind one banner driven by the willingness to make sacrifices to achieve and maintain independence.

This attitude needs to be (re)awakened in light of recent events at Lahad Datu, especially as history shows that there are still those who have no qualms about resorting to all manner of deceit and posturing -- including organised crime and corruption -- to achieve their "hidden" vested interest and agenda even to the point of compromising the sovereignty of the country.

Malaysians have to remain uncompromisingly rooted to tanah tumpahnya darahnya with the utmost loyalty to Malaysiaku berdaulat!

- The writer is the vice-chancellor of the Albukhary International University