Soldier of the propaganda war

Soldier of the propaganda war
Aug 31, 09 8:56am

On each Ramadan, without fail Abdullah Ahmad, 66, will recall the day the communist bombed the Information Department's office in Baling.

"While breaking fast, a colleague came rushing to inform me that our office has been bombed by the communist," said the former projector operator of the Information Department.

The incident occurred during the Ramadan of 1974 as soon as he returned home from his office located in Baling town.

At that time, Abdullah and his wife, Azizah Yahya and their two young children were living in the government quarters.

He immediately rushed to the office located not far and by the time he reached there a big crowd had already gathered to take a look at the damaged walls and windows.

"I tried to enter the compound to save the two Land Rovers parked there but was prevented by the police on safety reasons," he said when met at his home in Bukit Piatu, Malacca recently.

Recalling the episode, Abdullah, who hails from Sungai Korok, Alor Star, Kedah, said prior to the incident, he had taken a former communist couple on the department's Land Rover to the villages and nearby jungles to coax their erstwhile friends to surrender.

Abdullah, affectionately known as Pak Lah to his friends, said throughout the journey, the Land Rover that he drove was escorted by a police vehicle and the couple persuaded the other communist members to surrender through the mounted loud speakers.

"We were aware that communist insurgents were hiding in the nearby jungles and they heard the calls made by the couple," he said.

Late evening, they returned to Baling town and continued with their work.

"Maybe the communists thought that the couple were at the office and that is why the bombed the office," he said adding that the couple were actually at the Baling police station.

Abdullah served at the department's office in Baling from 1969 to 1984.

Bid to win over the insurgents

Throughout the 15-year period, Abdullah and his colleagues underwent many difficult moments while they were working on the 'Program Sedar' (Awareness Programme) to win over the communist insurgents.

He said around 1970s, the Baling district was a black area. It was covered by thick jungles, and served as a hideout and passage for the communist.

Accessibility to the villages in the district then were through logging trails and plantation roads, something that Abdullah was familiar with as he had worked with a logging company in Changlun, Kedah, before joining the department in 1968.

"Sleeping in the jungles with the members of the armed forces was part and parcel of the job, what more when the distance between the villages and the Baling town is far, and only accessible through logging trails and plantation roads, the situations is worst when it rains," he said adding that there were times he did not return home for two to three weeks.

Abdullah's role at that time was to drive, manage the PA system and play movies.

Under the 'Program Sedar' he had get into villages like Kampung Bukit Hijau, Kampung Batu Lapan and others to campaign and cajole the communist to surrender.

At the same time they also urged the village folks not to conspire with the communist.

"We played the movies provided by Filem Negara Malaysia, many came out from the kampongs to watch them. After a big group had gathered, leaders and district officers would deliver the message from the government," he said.

If the programme ended after midnight, Abdullah and friends would put up in the village or at times took the risk of walking through the dark and quiet village roads especially when they had another assignment waiting.

There were times when the district officer would call for a meeting over their operation early morning on the following day.

"Many times I had to knock on the door during late hours. My wife never complained as she understood my nature of work and there were times she and the children had to follow me to the villages as I feared their safety back home," he said.

Announcing the curfew

He said the communists were not only in the jungles but also in the towns.

Another big challenge is the announcement of curfews, where he and the team had to venture into the villages late in the night.

"At 2 or 3am, when we arrive at the villages, we blared the music loudly to awaken the villagers, we then could see the light from the houses indicating that they have woke up.

"That was how we used the loud speakers to announce the curfew that had been enforced in the particular area," he said.

He said the order had to be announced on the wee hours before villagers left their homes early to tap rubber.

"The soldiers were already in the jungle where the curfew had been imposed, if they villagers are not informed early... they may get caught in cross fire," he said.

Abdullah said he had heard a lot about the skirmishes between security personnel and the insurgents, the atrocities committed by the communist on the villagers and have seen the dead bodies of communist insurgents.

"Once a communist insurgent who surrendered told me that they would have shot me if they wanted to, as they have seen my Land Rover many times making its way to the villages.

"There were instances where the communists came out with the villagers to watch the movies," he said.

Abdullah noted that, at that time he did not fear much maybe because he was young.

"But now when I look back my days in Baling, it is frightening," he said.

After leaving Baling in 1984, he went to serve in Kelantan, Perak and finally Malacca. Abdullah's last position before retiring in 1998 was audio video supervisor for the Malacca Information Department.

Healthwise he has been quite unfortunate as now he has to undergo haemodialysis trice weekly as his kidneys have failed.

In conjunction with the 52nd Merdeka anniversary on Aug 31, Abdullah hopes that Malaysians especially the younger generation will continue enjoying the fruits of independence.

Always remember how difficult it was for our early leaders to fight for independence and in preserving our sovereignty, he added.

- Bernama

Source: Malaysiakini

Communist Party of Malaya Revisited

Why we stay here, even when we love home

K Kabilan Aug 31, 09 8:28am

Kampung Chulaborn 12, or Ban Chulaborn Patana 12, in Thailand is no ordinary village. It is located deep in a jungle with the nearest town Shukirin about an hour's drive.

The distance to this village from the border town of Golok is some 70 kilometres but the rugged terrain and poor road conditions mean a travel time of almost two hours.

The residents of this village are also a group of 'special visitors of the Thai government' for they are all members of the 10th Regiment of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM).

This village used to be their base camp and after the 1989 peace agreement between the CPM, the Thai government and the Malaysian government, these former members of the party were permitted to remain living there.

When it started, the village had about 260 people, most of whom were CPM members and their families, who had agreed to lay down their weapons. They were led by their revered leader Abdullah CD and his wife, Suriani Abdullah.

Today their number stands at about 460 – including extended families and outsiders, and they are still under the watchful eye of their 'protectors', Abdullah and his wife.

“This is beautiful, peaceful village. We have what we want here. The crime rate is almost non-existent. We are a close community,” said 52-year-old village head and ex-communist Dome Za, a Malay-speaking Thai.

“Although I'm the village head, we still seek advice from Abdullah and Suriani on the running of the village,” he added.

About 20 veteran communist leaders, all peers of Abdullah, are still living in this village. Almost all of them were from Malaya originally.

They had joined the 10th Regiment in May 1949 and then moved to the Thai-Malaya border in 1953, to remain in the jungles until the peace deal was signed in 1989.

But why didn't these former guerrilla fighters return to their homeland?

'Guiding lights' of the regiment

Abdullah and Suriani, who had visited Malaysia a several times, including a visit to the Perak Sultan, were adamant in remaining in the village.

“We have our home here... our family is here, our friends are here,” Abdullah told Malaysiakini.

“Also I'm against the Internal Security Act as well as a host of other laws in Malaysia. I don't want them to catch me using any small excuse,” he said with his trademark laughter and slap on the thigh.

The influence of this couple is visible in the village but that is understandable as they were the guiding lights of the regiment during their war years in the jungle.

“We realise that it is time for the younger generation to take up the leadership role. We also realise that both Abdullah and Suriani are getting older and are not as healthy as they once were,” said Dome.

“We will surely miss them when they are no longer with us but I think we can manage somehow.”

For others, such as veteran guerrilla fighter Asi (left in photo), Abdullah and Suriani are like his parents.

“I joined the movement at the age of 11 and I have known them since I was 13,” said the 70-year-old Sungai Siput-born man of Indian parentage.

He is also the only remaining Indian communist left. (His story will be published tomorrow).

“I can't imagine my life out of this village,” said Asi, who is married to a Thai communist and has a daughter.

After the peace agreement, each communist member who wanted to return to Malaysia was given RM300 per month for three years by the Malaysian government.

Those who elected to stay put at the village got a Thai government financial assistance of 540 baht (about RM54) per month for three years, a house and six acres of land.

First batch of university graduates

“The Thai government has helped us a lot and continues to support us,” said the village head.

He added that the Thai princess Chulaborn Mahidol adopted the village in 1993 until 2004 and during that period, the village was supplied with electricity and water supply.

Today almost all houses have a television set with their distinctive long antennas to get better access. One or two houses even have Internet access using a satellite receiver.

There is a government clinic for the villagers with a hospital attendant on stand-by on all working days.

A museum to highlight the historical moments of 10th Regiment is a must-see at this village but it is in need of financial aid to continue running.

They also have a primary school attended by children from the village and other neighbouring villages. This year's intake stands at 88 pupils.

“We also have six of our young ones studying in universities in Thailand. They are our first batch of university students. We also have about 100 of our children studying in secondary schools outside of this village, either in Narathiwat or elsewhere in southern Thailand,” said Dome, whose son is one of the pioneer batch of undergraduates from the communist village.

'We don't want to return home'

Most of the villagers tend their plot of land with rubber or fruit trees but complain of a low return due to over-supply of fruits and low yield of rubber due to the climate.

“But I guess we will still call this place home. Back in Malaysia, we have nothing... only bad name perpetuated by the government's lies against our contributions although we had fought so hard for the sake of Malaya in the first place,” said veteran guerrilla fighter Shukor Ismail, 80.

“Even though I have no blood relations here... these are all my comrades, my friends and I want to be with them until the end. Not with some strangers, though relatives, in Malaysia,” he added, with a touch of irony.

“Malaya is still my country. I still have feelings for it. I love Malaysia, or I would not have struggled and sacrificed my life for it. However it just makes better sense to live in Thailand now.

“Not just because they have taken better care of us but also because of the fear of how we will be looked at if we return home,” added Shukor.

“For that reason, we don't want to return to Malaysia, our beloved homeland,” he said with a tinge of sadness and regret in his voice.

And this sums up the sentiment of almost all communist veterans in this village although some of them are in regular contact with their families in Malaysia.

Related story: Deleted from victors' history: The other freedom fighters

Tomorrow: Story of Asi - last remaining Indian communist
Wednesday: Abdullah CD on the continuing revolution

Source: Malaysiakini

Communist Party of Malaya Revisited

Deleted from victors' history: The other freedom fighters

K Kabilan Aug 31, 09 8:03am

At midnight on Aug 30, 1957, millions of Malayans rejoiced the momentous occasion of the nation's father Tunku Abdul Rahman replacing the Union Jack with the Malayan flag.

About 450 kilometres away, deep in a thick jungle at the border of Malaya and Thailand, a smaller band of brothers (read: armed comrades) was huddled in front of a fire, pondering what would that act of lowering the Union Jack mean to them.

Fifty-two years on, they are all bitter that the truth about their role in gaining independence for the country remains unrecognised, and are worried that it would die with them.

This group of men and women – all members of the fearsome 10th Regiment of the Communist Party of Malaya led by Abdullah CD – have been based in this border area since the end of 1953 following a continuous onslaught against them by the British forces.

Numbering about 550 people, these guerrilla fighters had waged a war to get rid of the British since the formation of their regiment on May 21, 1949. They were part of a larger CPM war unit under its Malaya National Liberation Army which had about 8,000 fighters at its peak.

However, with the declaration of Emergency in 1948, the party was banned and for the next 12 years, they were in constant battle with the authorities (first the British, then the Malayans with the help of the British) who were adamant about getting rid of the communist guerrillas.

The resulting offensive drove many communist guerrillas into the Thai-Malaysian border, where the subsequent Malaysian government continued their attacks until a peace deal was struck in 1989.

By 1989, the strength of the CPM had dwindled and following the peace agreement, they settled in four 'peace villages' in southern Thailand.

What remains now is a history in the perspective of the victors where these CPM guerrilla's are demonised as terrorists.

In view of the nation's 52nd Merdeka, Malaysiakini recently visited one such communist 'peace village' in Sukhirin, southern Thailand, to talk to some of these battle-hardened “communist insurgents” on their role in gaining independence.

The village – Kampung Chulaborn 12 – is home to about 460 people, made of the families and extended family members of the original Regiment 10 members.

It had about 260 people – mostly ex-communist members – when it was established in 1989. Today, the remaining war veterans include Abdullah CD, his wife Suriani Abdullah and about 20 of his comrades.

People were suffering under the British

The 10th Regiment was established in Temerloh by Abdullah CD and as such most of its members had come from Temerloh and other parts of Pahang.

One of them is Shukor Ismail, now 80, who was taken in by the communist ideology in 1948 and was a pioneer member of Regiment 10.

“At that time the people suffered under the British rule. We had just come out of the Japanese occupation, which was also a painful period. Many had already started feeling that we did not need the British to rule us,” he recounted outside his attap house in the peace village.

“The farmers were feeling the economic pinch as they were not getting enough. It seemed as though all our hard work and money was being shipped off to London for the empire.

“I started my war against them because of this – they took what's mine to enrich themselves,” said Shukor, whose body was clearly showing the evidence of hardship it had undergone.

He added that the people of Temerloh had an early start in nationalism as a result of the anti-British war initiated by Dato Bahaman in 1891 to 1895.

“His failure was the key to our struggle. The descendants of Dato Bahaman in Temerloh always knew that we had to get rid of the British and we managed to do that with CPM and our regiment.”

Shukor also had no doubt over the role played by his comrades in freeing this nation from the occupiers.

“This was our revolution and we were successful, despite what the rulers of Malaysia say today.

“It was our campaign which brought about the change in the mindset of the people that they could self-rule and that they could chart their own future without any outside interference.

“What had the others done actually? They were colluding with the British. And now they are denying us of our role,” he said with a tinge of anger in his voice.

'We drove them away'

Shukor went on to say that it was a falsehood to state that Malayan independence was gained without shedding a drop of blood.

“That makes no logic at all for the politicians to say we gained our independence peacefully. For me, the price of independence came with our blood being shed.

“We drove the British away. They left because they couldn't outwit us in jungle warfare and they were defeated as they knew they could never stop us from attacking them. They did not want to continue with that burden so they handed the country to Umno, knowing that the armed struggle would be between Malayans after that.

“And even when they gave the country to Umno, the British were still holding much influence, be it in security matters or in financial matters. They were also reaping the benefits of our economy,” he added.

He said that it was never the intention of the communist to fight among Malayans. The enemy was the British and “their stooges”, he added.

“I'm sad that the people in Malaysia today are unaware of this truth. They only believe in what has been told to them by the present rulers, who find it suitable to give prominence to whatever role they played in getting the independence.

“The present government is still living in that lie. It's in the history books, it's in their national monument... look at Tugu Negara. What do you see? You see British soldiers kicking local fighters. That does not reflect the correct historical fact,” said the former guerrilla who spent 40 years in jungle.

He also added that he felt independence was not fully attained by the people of Malaysia as “the residues of British rule are still prevalent in our system”.

“When it comes to political power in the nation, it is still a leftover of the British concept of race-based rule. Are the people fully empowered to do what they want for the nation? Is everyone equal in Malaysia today?

“What is different from the British divide-and-rule policy? Economically, is everyone well-to-do? Who is controlling the economy? Just like the British period, it is still in the hands of a group of people, not with the rakyat,” he noted.

The victor's version is skewed

This was a point which was agreed to by his colleague Awang Yaakob, a former team leader of the 10th Regiment.

The 67-year-old born in Temerloh, who goes by the name Hatta, joined the movement at the age of 15 in 1949.

He lamented that the youth of today had no inkling of the role played by his comrades in gaining independence.

“Our revolution was a success and it brought about independence for the nation but sadly our role is being kept in the dark by the politicians who ultimately benefited from our struggles,” said the pint-sized but valiant-hearted man with plenty of battle scars in his body.

“The younger generation today have no way to find out about the respective roles played by CPM, Umno and other nationalists in gaining independence because what we have now is only the version of one party - Umno.”

However, he said that he was glad that his family back in Temerloh and other friends knew the truth.

“My family back in Temerloh applaud me for that. Forget the politicians, for the rest, we have done a service for the nation,” he said.

Like his comrade Shukor, Hatta too spent almost 40 years in the jungle for which he bears many scars from gun-shot wounds on his body as evidence of his part in getting the British out.

“Of course we killed them (the British), but they also killed us. Don't just blame us for the all the atrocities. It was a war, you had to kill to stay alive and to keep up your struggle,” he said without a hint of regret.

“We were clear in what we wanted and we had achieved that,” he said wile insisting that it was time for the Malaysian government to reveal the truth about the roles played by his communist comrades.

“The government is just fearful that its influence will wane if the people know the truth,” he said.

Women fought just as fearlessly

Another former communist guerrilla, Siti Mariam Idris, 83, meanwhile said it was the independence movement mooted by the Malay nationalists, who later joined the CPM, that paved the way for women participation in politics.

“In CPM we had so many women leaders, people such as Shamsiah Faker, Zainab Baginda and Suriani to name just a few.

“They played a big role in emancipating the kampung women on issues of being independent and free.

“Are these facts reflected in the history today? Are these heroines mentioned anywhere by the government?” she asked.

Siti Mariam, known as Atom among her comrades, joined the revolution in May 1949.

She hails from a little waterhole called Lubuk Kawah, the hotbed of nationalism in Temerloh at that time.

Atom was a section leader and was involved in major fights “with the enemy”, especially in Bukit Tuel and Bukit Rambutan in 1968/69.

Her ever-smiling face and down-to-earth persona clearly masks the fortitude she had in carrying firearms for the sake of her nation.

“I took up arms to free my nation, for my race and religion. I have no regrets for doing that.

“Women fought just as fearlessly for our ideologies as we had an equal role to play and were accorded the same level of support and respect.

"My only regret is that our fight for independence is being sidelined by the others,” she said.

Nowadays Atom is much more interested in mundane matters such as getting a new broom instead of tackling enemies.

But never for a moment can one dismiss this as a mark of people like Atom having forgotten their cause and revolution. That spirit of loving their nation is still pretty much burning bright in their hearts.

Related story: Why we stay here, even when we love home

Tomorrow: Story of Asi - last remaining Indian communist
Wednesday: Abdullah CD on the continuing revolution

Source: Malaysiakini

Cow head

Gross.

I am shocked beyond words.

Panas, panas

Siapakah personaliti paling dibenci bulan ini?

Dr. Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah.
BA(Hons)Political Science (UKM), MA Strategic Studies (UKM), PhD Politics and Government (UPM), Dip. Islamic Studies (UIA)
Pensyarah Kanan Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia

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