Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama has announced his withdrawal from public speaking. That he should have done long ago. He is to the Tebetans a living god, the reincarnation of the goddess of mercy. It was the Panchen Lama who handled the affairs of state. The Panchen was proChina but the Dalai Lama was anti and funded by the CIA and failed to act as a god.

We see that our universities have failed to be included in the Times' list of the world's top 100

Radhis Maidin (cont)

13 Escape

One of us building the police station was a young man called Yusof. A rubber tapper from Johore, he was not political. But he too was held under the Emergency Operation in 1948. He became close to me and I spoke to him about politics, about the cruelty of the colonialists to the people and country whether they were Portuguese , Japanese or British, about the early patriotic struggles of Datuk Maharajalela and Datuk Sagor and the development of the independence struggle Their greediness in scooping the wealth of the country and oppression led to the people rising up in struggle to expel them from the country. It was after my talks with him that he became aware that the political detainees here were good people who had sacrificed everything for independence. I explained also that the armed battle in the jungle and in all corners of the country was to drive the British colonialists out and that it was part of the national struggle. Finally the spirit of freedom sparked and burnt in him. He seemed ready to join the struggle and to carry the gun. I was sure of him and thought he would make an excellent guerrilla, both brave and disciplined. I had no doubt as to my escaping and joining the guerrillas.

Near our place of work was a Chinese owned coffee shop. Everyday a Chinese boy of about twelve would bring his cows to graze in the area. He attracted my attention. It was strange to see a Chinese cowherd. What if this boy had contacts with the national liberation army guerrillas? Could he help in my plans to escape? In the beginning I called out to him but he was shy but eventually came to me. I sang the International in Chinese so he could hear and I told him that I was Rashid Maidin. Two days later, while I was wondering about the boy, he suddenly turned up with a letter written by a Malay friend working in a masses work unit. Among other things the letter suggested a surprise attack on the police. I replied that that was not necessary as I had other plans. All we had to do was to name the signal, the place and the date and time.

I did not show my joy. It was when the decisions had been made by the guerrilla unit that I told Yusof that we move the next day. It was not difficult to escape because Sergeant Pak Mi was sure of us and often let us go to the latrine unescorted. But there was one who was very pro-British. He would probably cause difficulties.

On the named day the sergeant was having his usual meal with his boys I pretended I had a stomach ache and asked to go to the latrine. Yusof also had the same problem. So we went to the latrine which was located about 70 to 80 metres away. On my asking him, the sergeant said a guard was not necessary and when I said he would be in trouble he said it was ok as the “albino cattle” were not around.

I took a hammer and Yusof a work tool in case we were attacked but, as luck would have it, no one followed us. We pretended to go to the lavatory but headed for the coffee shop where we disconnected the phone, then hurried to a rubber estate where we came across three persons doing survey work. It was very possible that they saw that I was an escaped prisoner for they started to run away. I shouted to them not to go, for we were not going to stay but they did not turn to look but continued to run. They left behind their instruments and food and drink. Surely they would report what happened.

We had taken a few steps then we saw a red flag waving in the wind. There was a guerrilla section of about 12 men there, probably of the 4th Regiment of the National Liberation Army waiting for us. We had successfully contacted the masses work unit and the Malay fighter from Malacca who had written. They asked Yusof and I to have coffee. I said no, the police were nearby and were sure to pursue us; and we were only a few. The commander placed men all round us to protect us and this protection continued when we stopped to rest. After about 10 minutes, we heard continuous firing. Perhaps Pak Mi had just discovered our escape.

I was thankful for the help the revolutionary Chinese cowherd gave me whose name I did not know. I thanked the fighter from Malacca as well as the detachment.

Five days after my escape, came a British plane calling me on a loudspeaker to surrender myself. The loudspeaker abused me and tried to frighten me by saying I would be treated as rubbish and would not be accepted by the MCP nor by the National Liberation Army. In addition thousands of leaflets were dropped signed by British officials of Malacca asking me to surrender. The leaflets asked me to return, saying they knew what I wanted and that I was unwanted by the MCP.

I asked for paper and wrote a reply to the leaflets, leaving the reply at a place where the colonialists were sure to find it. After a few days I heard that it was known that I had left a message and that the news about it was not only known among the troops of the colonialists but the subject of talk among the people. If I remember right the note that I wrote said, “End the emergency immediately. You have brought about chaos and suffering. You British colonialists should go back to your country.”

What happened was that Malay kampongs and Chinese were driven out. Their fruit trees left to the squirrels and paddy fields put to the torch. Each person was forced to carry only one broken pot and live in camps under curfew. Many were killed, their heads cut off and hung on the side of the road. I saw this when I was moving from Malacca to Pahang. It was a painful experience for me

And to call me rubbish! I was warmly welcomed by the mass working unit and guided from place to place until we reached the central authority. Wherever I went the friendship shown was real. After about one year I reached Kerdau, Pahang where I was able to rejoin the 10th Regiment and Abdullah CD. But I left Yusof in Malacca, as planned, as he was a Johore man. In Johore there were many guerrillas led by Mat Indera.