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