The Penang File

50 years

2012-02-21T22:46:00.002-08:00

We should remember that 50 years ago the US invaded Vietnam devastating the country, Lao and Cambodia. Who can ever forget that photo of the little girl running down the road, burning with napalm? Jimmy Carter put it cynically when he said "We owe Vietnam no debt because the destruction was mutual."

Is UMNO becoming fascist? It seems to be the trend judging from the growing attacks by ruffians on meetings that UMNO does not like.

Proton has done well. When we read statements like that we cannot help thinking how many more hospitals could have been built with that subsidy of 60 millions per annum that that expensive 81,000 cars a year toy cost. Dr M is no longer PM yet this face saving wasteful farce goes on.

Shame

2012-02-14T01:15:00.000-08:00

The government should be ashamed. There is no extradition treaty between our two countries yet Kasgari was deported. The government pretends it does not guess that Kashgari might be put to death. It should resign its membership of the Human Rights Council.

When a former chief justice referred to the amendment to Article 121 of the COnstitution which removed judicial power from the judges Dr Mahathir was once again heard in denial.That man again! When will he ever shut up!!

Dr Toh Chin Chye

2012-02-04T03:13:00.000-08:00

Dr Toh Chin Chye who died recently was a very timid man. When Lim Tay Boh (later a professor at the university) asked him to join the Malayan Democratic Union and had assured him that he would be in the secret list known only to me he refused (scared that he might be betrayed?) With Harry Lee he felt safe.

Two administrations

2012-01-13T03:53:00.000-08:00

News reports tell us that Hasan Ali joined a JAIS raid on pubs. Why the government allows another body to run the country is puzzling. Or could it mean that the government allows Hasan Ali to enforce his view of Islamic law thus allowing another body to share power?

Ketuanan Melayu

2012-01-03T22:32:00.000-08:00

What a joke! The imitative UMNO government is going to copy the UK race relations law. That does not make sense when we think of reality. Despite the fact that ketuanan Melayu rules race relations are good in this country. What is needed is the abandonment of the quasi apartheid ketuanan Melayu state of mind. The doors to the recruitment of the armed forces and government should be thrown wide open and the idea that the country belongs only to one race given up. Only then can we talk about integration and one coumtry.

We were never colonised

2011-10-01T02:46:00.001-07:00

Do those fellows who run the government know the meaning of democracy? The answer must be a “No” the way the UMNO boys reacted to Mat Sabu’s statement on the Bukit Kepong incident, that it was but an attack on a colonial police force. The outburst of anger on the right only serves to reveal how the colonial mind set continues to dominate in UMNO, deeply soaked in loyalty to London. All is not gloomy hell however. There is fun if you know where to look. Take the latest joke in the argument, that we were never colonised. And this astonishing rewriting of the dictionary is even supported by a professor! Pity the poor students who attended his lectures, and must have looked in vain for a book published by him! But we should also spare some sympathy for members of the DAP. It will be recalled that the DAP have punished their Manoharan for calling for the modification of the official flag. This incident demonstrates that the DAP is after all, a truly patriotic party, reacting as a sensitive patriot should. All DAP members will thus be reminded that although their father figure is Lee Kuan Yew they have to remember also to be Malayan patriots. Oh! About flags, we would recommend that they go to Google to study the US public’s attitude to their national flag and not get too excited over the subject.

Who do the orang asli belong to? The answer seems to be the police. We are forced to this view because of the chauvinist approach to these unfortunate people. The news stories about the downtrodding of their religious beliefs for example about the threatened demolition of their their church only confirms the view that the government does not have any for respect for the national minorities or their religion..

They should bear in mind

Article 11 of Our Federal Constitution

clause (1) “Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and, subject to Clause (4), to propagate it” and clause (3) “Every religious group has the right -
(a) to manage its own religious affairs;
(b) to establish and maintain institutions for religious or charitable purposes; and
(c) to acquire and own property and hold and administer it in accordance with law.”

Also, Article 18 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights

“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

Rashid Maidin’s Memoirs (cont,)

Part 21

IN 1975 I was shocked to hear from the main detachment’s radio that Abdullah CD was seriously ill and that his wife too was ill but survived poisoning by traitors. Many thoughts occupied my mind: my close friend Abdullah CD, political commissar of the 10th regiment, was in danger, how was I to help him? what was the fate of the regiment?

In the crisis I sent fighters with aid in the form of medicine and other forms of aid. I went immediately and found that he could not speak. Suriani was ill but was able to carry on with her work. She took on the work of the 10th regiment supervising all aspects of their work, working late into the night

HQ sent medicine, experienced doctors and leaders to help in the work of the 10th regiment The doctors worked till 1978. In 1976 Abu Samah came with Attack Unit 14 to help in the work.

Abdullah CD gradually recovered and my anxieties eased

In 1976 the leadership decided to have the headquarters from Weang to Sukhirin leaving only the 15th Attack Unit active in the region. At the beginning of 1977, we launched heavy attacks in Weang. I led the fighters in meeting them, withdrawing when attacked, and attacking when they withdrew.

The command also sent units to attack the enemy who then withdrew. I the led the 15th Attack Unit to join the troops

Malayness

2011-08-24T04:27:00.000-07:00

We have been sent an old newspaper cutting reporting UMNO leaders great fun in telling of the origins of their "Malayness." We learn that Datuk Sri Hishammudin Tun Hussein is of Turkish descent, Shafie a Bajau. then UMNO v-p Datuk Seri Anmad Zahid a Jawa Bagan Datuk, Malacca CM Ali Rustam a Bengali Malay, Perak chief minister Datuk Zambri a Mamak Malay, Datu Seri Musa Aman a Malay-Pakistan-Dusun, and Tan Seri Muhyddin tells us his father was Bugis and mother a Javanese. The then Putra chief Datuk Azeez is of "unknown ethnic status." So when one talks of “bumi” and of apartheid in this country this should be kept in mind.
■
Bersih marked a turning point in politics here. When Ibrahim Ali and his right wing group went to a Bersih meeting to break it up they withdrew when they discovered the great number of Malays taking part in the demonstration. We think the Middle East anti government movements must have had an effect.

The deportation of the.English lawyer briefed by Hindraf passes all understanding. Unless of course you guess right that the government was acting at the request of the British government.

This must be the latest in stupidities in which this country surpasses: that the armed forces cannot he "loyal if you are disloyal to us." With stupid generals such as this one we must start
worrying about the quality of our fighting forces.

The Jasin school for the pregnant as reported by Debra Chong shows that compassion is alive and kicking. The hostel supervisor is An Rahaman. It is meant exclusively for pregnant teens. A Chinese girl was the first to check in. It is reported that the state religious authorities running the facility were astonished.

We see that political detainees are handcuffed nowadays and forced to wear prison uniform. We emphasize once more that this was never done in British times when political detainees retained their clothes and were never handcuffed.

Rashid Maidin’s Memoirs (cont)

20 Reunited

“We will fight till the last drop of blood.” Thus spoke Chin Peng when at Baling the government of the Federation wanted us to surrender. A few years after that event when the government showed its enmity I returned to the 10th Regiment and Abdullah CD and others to continue the battle. Even if we fought to the last man we would not surrender.

In order to develop the armed struggle in 1962 the Central Committee decided to establish a large group in the 10th Regiment area to be called the No 1 Party School North Malaya. Attending were Organ of the Special Unit, The 12th Regiment, The 8th Regiment, and the Unit of the Special Area.

The 10th Regiment were the hosts. Its base at Kuala Kaih had prepared the necessary supplies for the group and its cadres worked day and night to receive the large numbers. The leaders of the regiments called a meeting of the Central committee and presented the Party’s New Guidelines decided upon at a previous meeting. Talks, political and military courses were held.

The First Party School North Malaya was the first in the border region to aim at hardening the will to fight and strengthening the forces and to receive the new party guidelines for maintaining the armed struggle.

In accordance with the new guidelines for a step by step development I was appointed to lead the group made up of cadres and fighters from the 10th Regiment for establishing a base in the special zone.

Although we faced difficulties at the beginning we succeeded in the end to open up many villages and our unit grew.

In 1973 another person took over and I was directed back to the 10th Regiment bringing with me 40 recruits. We were given a warm welcome. The group were called the Active Unit and were associated with the 10th Regiment My job was taken over by another leader.

My group arrived when the 10th Regiment was organising a group involving all units and associations. Here the leaders took turns to attend courses to increase their knowledge. AT this historic meeting Abdullah CD, in the name of general headquarters and the general staff of the Military Area 1 officially launched the 14th Attack Unit led by Abu Samah Mohd Kassim. After they had left for Ulu Kelantan Abdullah CD similarly launched the 15th Attack Unit. This was essentially the Active Unit and it was led by me.

We left for the Kelantan Thai border to develop the war and civil work.

1973 to 1976 active in the Eastern sector of the border area were the main body and the 15th Attack Unit. We worked closely together.

At the group the leaders took turns to attend courses to learn more.

BERSIH

2011-07-25T03:07:00.001-07:00

The Bersih crowds

The Bersih rallies in KL were a startling eye opener. They demonstrated that there is an enormous number of people fed up with the government who used the opportunity to show their frustration. The arrest and expulsion of the French lawyer who came for the popular investigation into the submarine deal only shows that there must be something substantial about public fears; the government must be fearful that some truths will emerge. Suspicions that clouded the Altantuya case will be thicker. There will be an increase in the distaste for the government. And of course laughter at their clownishness, unavoidable following the blacking out of the Economist magazines report on Bersih, as effective as the censors inking out the breasts (male as well as female) from my London Review of Books. And there is more laughter at the banning of Zunar’s cartoons.

Kelantan has banned the use of toilette rolls as serviettes. This incident shows the clash of cultures. The people there are used to water in the wc not paper and they don’t think it is wrong to use toilet paper which is a stranger to them. I have not found it uncomfortable to use the toilet paper at the eating stalls on the East Coast. But I am sure that if the authorities think the practice a disgrace to Kelantan, a “civilized” state. If so they should supply Kleenex free of charge.

A letter in The Star asks why Ah Longs are untouchable. Despite the propaganda about police action they survive and give all and sundry their phone numbers. This certainly raises suspicions.

China is an amazing place, thanks to Deng Xiao Ping, the anti Mao man and darling of the West. In the series introducing China made by a Shanghai unit we were entertained with a camera shot of a huge “Pirates of the Carribean” poster in Shanghai while the commentator was talking to us about Chinese culture.

I read that Marx once went on a pub crawl from Oxford Street to Hampstead Heath, London. Which reminds of the time when I did one from the East End to Golders Green, during the bombing of London. The young do have fun don’t they!

Tpf new rashmai 19

Rashid Maidin memoirs (cont)

19 With Chin Peng at Baling

In 1955 I was appointed by the central committee to be one of the representatives of the Communist Party in talks with the Federal government to be held on the 28-29 December 1955. Chen Ping and Chen Tien were waiting for me at Baling. We discussed at length the likely subjects of the talks. We were sure that the main objective of the Communist Party - to be declared a lawful political party and take part in politics like the other parties - would not be agreed to. For this we were willing not only to have a ceasefire but would lay down our arms and take part in the political process. The second objective in the talks was to reduce the powers of the British and bring about merdeka.

It would perhaps be possible to achieve the second objective. After the era of Dato Onn, UMNO, led by Tunku Abdul Rahman, was calling loudly for merdeka.. So, if the Communist Party, which opposed the British with arms, and UMNO, which called for merdeka in open politics, could come to an understanding or agreement on this issue, the demand for merdeka would become bolder and the British colonialists would become more isolated, not to speak of the certainty that with the talks with the communist party it could no longer be denied that the Party existed and played a part in the political developments. Thus it was best we kept silent during the talks and avoid being cast as anti-peace; we had to show our true colours as a party that was patriotic.

If we rejected the Baling Talks that would allow the British colonialists to brand us stubborn, something to be expected of uncivilised communists. And the British would no doubt add more to that in their propaganda war. We decided after pondering over the matter that we should go to the talks which would be beneficial for us, even if they reached a stalemate.

We were aware that Tunku Abdul Rahman had no authority to come to any agreement with us. He was only a chief minister, a puppet, while the power was with the British who had the army, the police and the economy. The Tunku was a political tool in the job of defeating us. On the other hand, the Tunku was a wise man who would use this opportunity to strengthen his demand for merdeka. This explains why he did not curse us like David Marshall, the Jewish chief minister of Singapore whose attacks like a wild boar perhaps would make his bosses, the colonialists, believe more in him and love him more.

It was more or less with Tun Tan Cheng Lock’s quibbling. We just ignored their criticisms. Tunku then talked about our surrendering, of the communist party being forever banned, of party members who were members of the Malayan Nationa Liberation army being ‘“processed”,by the British special branch while being held in detention camps.

To be sure such a conditions could not be accepted by us. The main points of Chin Peng’s reply: Tunku: We of the MCP want peace, but it must be a just peace. We shed blood fighting fascist Japan shoulder to shoulder with the British. After World War II the British came once more to colonise, proclaimed the emergency and mercilessly suppressed us. We were forced to take up arms and shed blood to defend the life of our Party. It is not reasonable to demand our surrender and to put us in a temporary confinement. It seems there is a hidden agenda. If there is to be peace it must be a just peace where our fight for independence is respected. We need not argue about this. Tunku has no power to make decisions. Go to London and demand independence. After independence we can negotiate again, however long it takes.

The Tunku was brief in his reply. “Never mind, if they don’t want it, never mind!”

Before that, to prepare the route to the talks, the government and the communist party had agreed to a cease-fire stretching from Klian Intan to Baling. Our delegation was made up of Chin Peng, head of delegation, Chen Tien and me and a friend from the 10th Regiment as head of the guard with a local Chinese troop. We were met by Captain Davis at the edge of the forest in a mining area at Klian Intan. Davis was a member of Force 136, a British guerrilla unit that contacted the Malayan Communist Party during the war. He had secretly entered the country by submarine. He entered into a treaty for co-operation and the supply of arms to the Malayan People’s Anti Japanese Army. Arms then came supplied from the air. Some we gave to Force 136 led by Captain Davis and some we concealed for use by the MPAJA.

Captain Davis got to know Chin Peng well; besides, he could speak Chinese. He was our escort during the journey. British and Gurkha troops were mobilised to guard the meeting area. A British officer told us he was tired of the war and that he hoped it would end quickly. I agreed with him.

For us, there were basically two ways of ensuring the safety of our delegation. One was that we had one hundred armed men broken up into groups at strategic places. The second was Captain Davis. If the British betrayed us, he would have to die. But we reckoned that although we were the hated enemy of the British colonialists they would not dare betray us. They would present themselves as “gentlemen.”

We also did not want to prolong the talks. Nor did we want it to proceed too fast or pressing. Three days was enough. So the government would provide food and drink for us for three days.

From Klian Intan we were driven in a car to a small area then from there we changed vehicles for Baling. Perhaps the British wanted to humiliate us for this transport was no different from the Black Maria. I was angry but did not protest because Captain Davies also travelled in it and also for the sake of smooth progress of the talks. We were in a convoy, with escorts back and front. The OCPD Baling was with us and on both sides of the route were people, crowding to catch sight of us . We could hear them shouting “Merdeka! Merdeka!” Some ran after our vehicle, I was stirred by the sight of these people and their shouts moved me. We waved to them to thank them.

Our convoy moved at a leisurely speed until we got to the English School at Baling where the talks were to take place, Thousands were there but they were held back by barbed wire, army and police. We were given a room prepared for us. Food had been prepared.

I could just make out a voice from the crowd calling my name. I went out for a look but could not recognise anybody that I knew. Later I learnt that the voice was that of my younger brother, Yusof Maidin, whom I had left seven years before.

In the middle of the day Captain Davis asked Chen Ping, Chen Tien and me to our places at the table. We went in. The air was quiet and tense. There were no greetings nor handshaking. We sat facing the government representatives, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Tan Cheng Lock, David Marshal and Hamid Jumat from Singapore, and government officials, none of whom I knew. During the talks no drinks were served. Perhaps the omission was deliberate as being inappropriate, meaning that if we had an appetite for “friendliness”. Anyway we liked it that way. The less we ate, the less we drank, the less the risk of being poisoned.

The details of what both sides talked all tumble in my memory. To summarise, the government wanted us to surrender and to outlaw the communist party; there was no compromising this. This also was our basic stand. If not for these two unjust conditions the agreement would have been easily reached.

Anyway, both sides agreed to talks after merdeka. Our delegation gave its support to the Tunku delegation in their talks with the British.

With the talks deadlocked we were sent back to Klian Intan forest there to continute our struggle.

Not long afterwards the British started encirclement and propaganda including broadcasts from the air calling on us to surrender and offering rewards for us dead or alive, meanwhile bombing and machine gunning our area.

********

I did not immediately return to the 10th Regiment but remained with Chin Peng to study the situation and to wait for the talks after merdeka.

In 1959 while at Sadao with Comrade Chin Peng I was drawn to a Chinese woman guerrilla. I got to know her and proposed to her. She replied, “I will think about it.” Yes, think about that, we were in the same army and met every day. In the end she agreed . Next we had to write to the Party leadership for permission. Next was for Party members to express their views. As no one objected we got married in accordance with Islamic law, my wife taking the name of Selamah binti Abdullah.

We went to a Malay kampong in Thailand where Selamah learnt the Malay language and customs. In fact Selamah’s mother was of Malay descent who had married a Chinese in Singapore. They left for Perlis where they set up as tailors making clothes and songkoks. The family with eight children were neither rich nor poor. With the declaration of the Emergency father, mother and some of the children were deported to China. An elder brother fled to Thailand. Selamah and two other brothers entered the jungle and joined the guerrillas. Today an elder brother and one younger are still in Perlis, one is in Thailand and one in China.#

%%%%

Waging war

2011-07-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

At the Anwar tape trial the Anwar tape was shown even though the accused had pleaded guilty. It has always been thought that the legal procedure is that when an accused person pleads guilty the evidence is not produced. That the magistrate had the “evidence” screened shows how low the standard of our courts is. That is the level of thought in this police state, with its tendency to hysterics as shown recently with a Bersih gathering for clean elections which was greeted with screams of “waging war against the King”! This war cry exposes the staggering ignorance of the ruling clique. They don’t even know that we have no “king” in their sense of the word. We have however an “Agong” who swears allegiance to the constitution on taking office. Will they cook up a new law to be called “waging war against the constitution”?

The electrifying emergence of the famous A Samad Said in support of the movement for clean elections signals how fed up people are. We are in a police state and yet there are writers who still write that “we are sliding into a police state”! Will they please wake up, and ask themselves why A Samad Said is angry! Except of course the PAS Sarawak who seem proud of the official uniform that their legislators wear. At least that is the impression we get when we read in the papers that PAS Sarawak condemned the DAP for not wearing the official uniform.

Here is something from the blog, Malaysia Today:

“Remember, Imam Malik issued a fatwa forbidding us from pledging allegiance to the Ruler (whether Caliph, Agong, Sultan or whatever). And for that he was jailed and flogged. However, the Caliph realised he had erred and later released Imam Malik, apologised, and offered him compensation.”

Rashid Maidin memoirs (cont)

18 Wak Mat Tinggal

In 1955 when Kamal (Ibrahim Chik) and I were at Kem Bukit Tinggi, about an hour from the main body led by Abdullah C.D. and Musa Ahmad, we saw smoke. What was it?

For an answer, I sent two guards to investigate. One returned to report that they found a man with a rifle who said he wanted to join us. I asked the man to come and meet us. The man told us that his name was Wak Mat Tinggal. He said he had escaped from prison in Narathiwat and had lived the life of a guerrilla and had tried to find our army. He said, “Whatever happens to Wak, Wak will join you.”

It was policy not to accept recruits and I would be wrong if I allowed him to join us. But take him or not, Wak was not going to leave this place. He was 55 years old.

From that moment we educated him to make him a good man, to serve the people without reserve, truly study, work and to train. He was diligent and learnt the A B C, then to read and write. His world view underwent a rapid change and he learnt fast.

Towards the end of 1955, the 10th Regiment received some instructions from Central, one of which was that Musa Ahmad and two other fighters were to be sent to study abroad. I was to go to Betong to meet Chin Peng so as to attend the talks with the Tunku Abdul Rahman administration.

Porn

2011-06-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

When the accused pleaded guilty in the Anwar tape case the video was shown in court. This is unprecedented. The evidence is simply not produced when the accused says Guilty when asked. What follows the plea is the sentence. The magistrate was playing politics (or porn) when the tape “evidence” was viewed in court. It only shows how low our courts have fallen. But isn’t the fall quite consistent with UMNO rule? Unable to argue with Anwar (and he is not a class one debater either) UMNO plays porn.

One blogger has described this country as a “quasi police state.” We have all along believed this to be a police state. Writers should avoid writing like this for fear of being thought pro UMNO.

China it is reported has gone crazy over the durian. Good news for the owners pf lands in Balik Pulau but news for the kids to come, for we worry they will not be able to afford the gorgeous fruit.

The notes written by Toh Soh Lung, a victim of Harry Lee’s viciousness is worth reading. She was jailed for “being involved in a Marxist conspiracy...” (Beyond the Blue Gate, Published by SIRD)

Rashid Maidin memoirs (cont)

18 Wak Mat Tinggal

In 1955 when Kamal (Ibrahim Chik) and I were at Kem Bukit Tinggi, about an hour from the main body led by Abdullah C.D. and Musa Ahmad, we saw smoke. What was it?

For an answer, I sent two guards to investigate. One returned to report that they found a man with a rifle who said he wanted to join us. I asked the man to come and meet us. The man told us that his name was Wak Mat Tinggal. He said he had escaped from prison in Narathiwat and had lived the life of a guerrilla and had tried to find our army. He said, “Whatever happens to Wak, Wak will join you.”

It was policy not to accept recruits and I would be wrong if I allowed him to join us. But take him or not, Wak was not going to leave this place. He was 55 years old.

From that moment we educated him to make him a good man, to serve the people without reserve, truly study, work and to train. He was diligent and learnt the A B C, then to read and write. His world view underwent a rapid change and he learnt fast.

Towards the end of 1955, the 10th Regiment received some instructions from Central, one of which was that Musa Ahmad and two other fighters were to be sent to study abroad. I was to go to Betong to meet Chin Peng so as to attend the talks with the Tunku Abdul Rahman administration.

Tan Jing Quee

2011-06-17T03:39:00.000-07:00

Tan Jing Quee, one of the greats of Singapore, died of cancer on the 14th of June 2011. He was a victim of Harry Lee’s venom and was locked up for many years by the cowardice of a man who fears free debate. Despite his years of suffering he impressed with his unbounded cheerfulness. We have lost a good man, a writer and a poet.

*************
On his detention.

——

What was it like ‘inside’?

A difficult question

Could you, would you really listen

Without sneer, to the end

How should I begin?

Should I start from the traumas of the raid

How liberty was so capriciously enchained

Without a warrant, without warning

On the dark hours

When even dogs slept undisturbed.

You were hauled into a world ran amok:

The mug shots, ‘turn out your pockets’

the thumb and fingers impressions

(Whatever for, I commit no crime!).

No one bothered,

The guard shoved you on,

Along the corridor of despair;

That first heavy thud of the iron door

Sealing you incommunicado from the world –

The wind, sun, moon, and the stars

And all that was human and dear

Should I recall the dark cell

At Central Police Station[1]

A purgatory of perpetual night

The stone slab for the bed

Sullied, soiled mattress, no sheets

The pillow of tears and stains, no cover

Blood smeared walls, cries of past agonies

The rude, cruel hourly rip-rap of the shutters

“To check your health”,

So it was explained.

Should I narrate

The daily bath at the tap

The squat pan, dank and putrid

Meant to dehumanize, humiliate

Should we be thankful

For the daily ditch water

Which passed for tea

The stony crumbs for bread

The rice so callously tossed with dust

Should we be grateful

For the censored books and news,

To decontaminate our minds;

Should we be grateful too

For the unbearable heat

The lonely insomnia of the day and night,

Migraine and diarrhoeic fever

And panadol as panacea?

How could I ever forget those Neanderthals

Who roamed Whitley Holding Centre, [2]

Under cover of darkness,

Poured buckets of ice water

Over my stripped, shivering nakedness,

Slugged my struggling, painful agony

Circling , sneering, snarling

Over my freezing nudity,

More animals than men:

What induced this

Vengeful venom, violent score

To settle, not for a private grievance

But a public, democratic dissidence;

From whence sprang this barbarity?

What made men turn into beasts

In the dark, away from prying eyes,

Protected by a code of dishonour and lies

To ensure they survive and rise.

For sure, there were gentler souls

Who tried to be decent, no more:

The smiling guard who lightened the hours

With a chance remark, a joke

The barber who brought his scissors, cigarettes and news

The interrogator who handed a bible

Told him the elegant prose

Contrasted strangely with my current state,

How distant those beautiful thoughts were

From the violence to our liberty.

What then is the truth ?

A generation trapped in lies

Who rushed to defend, to justify

Never to listen, see or speak out.

Only when we open our hearts

Confront this barbarism

Can we truly exorcise our fears,

Finally emerge as a free people,

A liberated society.

Mat Rempit

2011-06-07T01:27:00.000-07:00

Mat Rempit

The Malay press comment on the Mat Rempit reveals a mentality contemptuous of its own people, a subservient thinking much criticised by Syed Husein Alatas and Edward Said. The Mat Rempits shows that the Malays have less developed brains, they conclude. These stuck up people - who no doubt have more developed brains - should instead look for places where these youngsters can let off steam. Why not, for example, get the turf clubs to open racing tracks for them, running alongside the race tracks?

Honesty

“Temasek Review’ notes that In most First World countries, Member of Parliaments and Ministers are expected to declare their salaries, assets and business interests to the public. Even the state of Penang enacted a Freedom of Information Act last year requesting its state officials to do so. In Singapore, in a letter on ‘Rules of Prudence for PAP MPs’, Singapore prime minister only requested them to declare such important personal and financial information only to him:

“For your own protection, every MP should disclose to me, in confidence, your business and professional interests, your present employment and monthly pay, all retainers and fees that you are receiving, and whether your job requires you to get in touch with officers of Government Ministries or statutory boards on behalf of employers or clients.”

China’ shame

Looking at a Chinese documentary on the country in English one is amazed at its second rate quality. Words are not only mispronounced but are sometimes strange, not English at all. It is hard to believe that China is of that standard. One can only suspect that there is some reason for the best not being employed for the job.

*****
For some reason, taxis in Penang group together racially at stops where they wait for fares. This not the case in KL. Taxis had to be Protons for some time but now Nissan may be used.

Old newspaper cuttings have photos of Sadam Hussein and family all dressed in western clothes.

There was always behind Dr Mahathir at UMNO council meetings a man dressed in formal black tie.

And did you notice that Mahathir allowed people to kiss his hand, as if he were royalty?

The royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into the death of Teoh Beng Hock will not release submissions that have been made to it, “in order to prevent a trial by media.”

Rashi Maidin’s memoirs (cont)

17 At Dusun Nyiur

After several weeks couriers came to lead us to meet the advance group under Abdullah CD. Because the path had been chartered and supplies had been prepared we did not have such a hard time as the advance party.

AT Sungai Belum rice and beef had been prepared for us. But Kampong Belum was an isolated and destroyed field . . Its inhabitants had been expelled, houses burnt down. Fruit trees had been cut down and animals shot. Whatever was prepared for food was what was left over after the British destruction.

After a few days’ rest we left for Kampong Hala. It had suffered the same fate as Kapong Belum. Nevertheless the local leaders had prepared food for us. Here we waited for a while waiting for instructions. We husked paddy and prepared meat to build up supplies as well as to celebrate the success of our journey north.

I had begun the journey from Perak which was relatively free from obstacles but the Hang Jebat Troop led by Abdullah CD met with them. It was the first time that the 10th Regiment had done a strategic move in the war of independence against the British.

The conditions of battle pressed on us without cease. The result was that the leaders of the 10th Regiment could not remain long at one place. We had only a few days with Comrade Chin Peng and members of the central committee to discuss directions and tasks for setting up bases, and to study the guidelines and policy to deal with problems.

I joined the main body before Abdullah CD did. It was only when I returned that Suriani and Musa Ahmad left to meet the central committee. Some comrades and Abu Samah and I prepared to leave for the kampongs around Kampong Nyiur. At Air Keruh we met a mass work unit which had been working the area. Ibrahim Chik was already there with some Malay comrades. We joined him and the mass work unit which had been there left for another area. Abu Samah and his group worked in the Malay kampongs along the Malaya-Thai border while I worked in other areas.

It was not easy working among the new kampongs. It needed not only courage, patience and perseverence but above all the highest discipline, polished methods of work, respect for the customs and traditions of the people, adept at mobilising the people and so on. When we first came to the villages we had a somewhat cold reception. We guessed it would be so because the British had long penetrated the area, especially the Malay areas along the border. Their secret agents had spread slanders about us that made them confused.

However the situation changed when we won over the people by providing medical treatment. Comrades were directed to gather firewood, rotan, traditional medicinal roots etc for the people. It was not long before we gained the trust and sympathy of the people. After that we encouraged things like working together and looking after the cleanliness of the village and its health, planting and animal husbandry and setting up schools.

Before we arrived the kampongs there were social ills like robbery and theft. But with organisation such things no longer occurred. We set up organisations for youth, women and children. Things improved economically and there was unity and they became our bases. The news spread and people came to visit us, to invite us to their kampong, some for medication, others with some request or other.

May 13

2011-05-26T00:31:00.000-07:00

May 13

Many writers continue to write rubbish about the May 13 incident. They would do well to remember lawyer Marina Yusof’s truthful account. She was charged with sedition for her version but dropping of the charges against her for sedition after seven years of repeated appearances in court showed that the authorities were afraid of her version of the events (exposing the organisers) coming out in court.

“Take over”

The Straits Times commentator ‘Outside the Box’ has written: “For example the Communist Party of Malaya (which was nurtured by the British and whose founding leader, Secretary General Loi Teck was a British spy) was misled into believing that with 2000 or 3000 illiterate rubber tappers, union members and high school kids they could actually take over the country. They wanted to fill a void.” The fact is that the growth of the anti British movement had become an immense power in 1947 with the gigantic growth of the AMCJA-PUTERA movement with its Hartal (shut down movement) that paralysed the country. The British feared the loss of the rubber and tin that was saving them from bankruptcy Thus they had to crush the giant opposition alliance and launched the war which insurance conditions demanded be named as an “emergency”. Those who have read about the days before the war will have read about how Chin Peng was at a tin mine and taken unawares when the war on the people was launched and would have been arrested had he not heard the roar of the approaching armoured vehicles.

Anwar’s correct stand

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim: "People who are angry with Ibrahim Ali asked for him to be charged with sedition or ISA – I don’t," Anwar said. "As a matter of principle, I don’t support ISA or the Sedition Act and therefore I do not condone the use of these (laws), even as a temporary measure.".

Rashid Maidin's memoirs (cont)

16 With the Orang Asal

Apart from publishing, we sent a unit to organise the Orang Asal of Kelantan. Their chief was Datuk Angoi.who often visited and talked to us. The Datuk and I had become close friends so much so that we held a simple ceremony to seal our friendship. Datuk Angoi represented the Orang Asal and I represented our people. I was given the title of Datuk. We pledged and swore to be friends forever.

Apart from this ceremony, a dance was held. The fighters and the Orang Asal sang and danced to the sway of the music and the beat of the bamboo. So comeppling and spirited were the dances that one of our fighters fell into the bonfire but he slightly burnt. It was only when the dawn began that we dispersed, each to his task.

Datuk Angoi and his son were firm supporters of the Army. Every day their men and women brought us tapioca and other produce of the soil. To lighten their burden, Musa Ahmad and I formed a unit of ten led by Awang Ibrahim to help carry the tapioca from Ulu Kelantan.

On the evening of 7 July 1954 Abu Samah’s unit came back to camp and reported that Sulaiman Songsang had surrendered and had revealed our site to the enemy. We had hardly time to come to a decision when, in the morning, planes came to attack us with bombs and rockets. They also machine gunned the forest area. The target was the cave where we camped.

To cope with the sudden change in the situation, Abdullah CD at once issue orders to move. We were led by the Pandak, a son of Datuk Angoi. Soon after we had left the camp the sky was filled with parachutes as the enemy soldiers came down for the attack.

Pandak led us across rivers, over hills, down valleys. It was after two weeks that we got to a base of the Orang Asal. Awang’s unit, guided by Datok Angoi himself also arrived at the same time. This base had escaped the encirclement of the enemy but because there were few fields about food supplies were insufficient and also we lacked a guide to continue the march north. Also we were not sure what conditions were like on the way. We called a meeting to get a consensus. Abdullah CD proposed that we split forces: he would lead one group north and Musa and I would remain behind with the Orang Asal. I took the proposal to be a strategic move to avoid disaster or for training the fighters as we could not guess the future and we had no supplies so I agreed to the proposals. Musa Ahmad however did not say a word and one wouldn’t know whether he agreed or not. Whatever it was, the fact that I supported Abdullah CD would meant a 2 to 1 vote.

When the time came Abdullah CD and the troops left and we moved around the fields of the Orang Asal to await news. We had news that the pioneer group had difficulties with food whereas we had plenty of tapioca to eat.

Talking to Musa he would sometimes say , I am ready to die by the bullet like you Datuk but let’s hope we don’t die.

I said nothing but in my heart of hearts my opinion of him went down because going into the jungle carrying arms to fight the British colonialists meant to sacrifice everything including one’s life for the sake of the country. That was what was noble about it. As a leader Musa should not be talking like that. To Musa I would joke “Who wants to choose death, struggle is messy, to sacrifice oneself in battle becomes a normal thing.”

new post

2011-05-17T05:26:00.000-07:00

There is something wrong with this website. This the third time we are trying to write something new and we hope we succeed.

There is some nonsense writing about Penang's free port. It was abolished by Tunku Abdul Rahman in 1962. And yet writers continue to write that it simply "eroded"

There was an exhibition of Dr Cheng Ghee's photos of "little India" recently. We remember that they once had very good fish fried the Kerala way but now no more! Wonder what happened to the cook.

How rich?

2011-04-13T23:53:00.001-07:00

It’s heartening to learn that the Party Socialist leaders have declared their assets. We can be sure that the other politicians will never do the same.

The anti corruption body is hitting the headlines, not for arresting the big ones but for two persons - one of whom was a customs officer - falling to their deaths from the upper floors of their building. Scandal follows scandal in this country and nobody seems to care a damn.

The government acted stupid in closing the dialysis centre in Penang. The excuse was that it did not have a qualified nephrologist. The government should learn from China’s experiment of the “barefoot doctors” who provided health services for the countryside when there were not enough doctors to go round.

It is shocking that there was no public condemnation of the action of the Education Department who instead of sending the man to court merely transferred a teacher who beat a One Year student and fractured his or her (the reporter failed to tell us whether it was a girl of boy) hand.

Scent of an Island
Pix by Ismail Hashim / Poem by Cecil Rajendra

Another morning
The amplified voice
of a muezzin
cracks electric
from the majestic
minaret of the State mosque
snapping the city
from its thicket of sleep

circle of fireflies -
the luminous dial
of my bedside clock -
semaphore an eerie 5.30.
What can I devise
to pass this purgatorial
hour before sunrise:
too early for a rehearsal
of morning ablutions
too late for a retrieval
of that broken tendril of dreams.
Outside, the estate air is still
grey with remnants of night;
another dawn awaits release
from the scrag throat of a cockerel.

***

Scent of an Island is an ongoing attempt to capture the sights, sounds and smells of Penang in words, image and music.

The real Penang as experienced by Penangites - the good, the bad and the ugly; the experience not censored, sanitised, varnished or packaged for the tourist.

*****

Hwa Pin is a popular and famous coffee shop in Church Street dating from the 30s.
Many notable and legendary Penang artists, past and present, have had a cup of coffee or aTiger here; including the likes of Penang's first mayor, lawyer Goh Guan Ho, musician EdwinRajamoney, artists Tan Choon Ghee and Chuah Thean Teng while discussing the printing of a brochure or programme with the proprietors of Georgetown and supporters of Penang's cultural heritage for over 5 decades.

The late Goh Guan Ho's law offices were directly in front of Hwa Pin. They have recently been converted into an art gallery - Galeri Seni Mutiara (II).

Rashid Maidin’s Memoirs (continued)

15 Strategic Move to the North

The MCP worked out a plan for the National Liberation Army to make a strategic retreat to the north. Accordingly the 10th Regiment was to get ready for the move. I was to move earlier, to Perak as a preparatory step to lead the Malay Work Office, Northern section.

I had only been with the regiment for two months and had to leave them. With several Malay companions I followed the pioneer group which was already in Perak. My group reached Perak and we contacted the publishers of the paper. The unit comprised Malays, Chinese and Indians. There we joined the Orang Asli in planting.

Towards the end of 1953 the main body of the Regiment named the “Hang Jebat Troop” arrived. We were overjoyed to able to meet Abdullah CD, Musa Ahmad, Suriani Abdullah and others and to talk once more. In order to prepare for the tasks ahead we had discussions with the MCP Perak secretariat at which Suriani was the interpreter, as she was good at Chinese and English. She was charged with helping the Hang Jebat Troop in working with friendly units along the journey, arranging for supplies including medical as well as arms and other needed materials. Sometimes she helped to coordinate the actions of the units in the area.

Because we had lost contact with the north Perak organisation, with the agreement of the state secretariat we headed for an area in Ulu Kinta, a journey which took us ten days. There we found a huge cave which could contain about 30 persons. Around were Orang Asal hill rice growing in valleys and on the hill slopes. This an Orang Asal area where the villages were connected. They were our warm supporters and they hated the British colonialists. Indeed they had a unit of fighters there. Wth their help food was not a problem. They supplied potatoes and even let us take supplies from the fields.

At first we spent the night in the cave with the Orang Asal but, a few days later, the local responsible comrades came and had talks with us. It was decided to organise the Orang Asal, to study their character more thoroughly, to publish a paper and to organise the people in Sungai Siput. We set up a unit under Abdullah CD to organise and to study Orang Asal society in the area i.e. the Orang Asal grooup in Perak kumpulan Orang Asal, Musa Ahmad and I were to be in charge of a unit to publish a magazine and publicity and also the study of the Orang Asal of Kelantan. Abu Samah Mohd Kassim’s unit was to organise the people in Sungai Siput.

The story of Abu Samah is interesting. He was known in the jungle as Sibar. It was our custom to change names when in the jungle and also when moving to another location. This was to avoid being traced by enemy spies for the locals did not know the true identity of the fighter and their loose talk would not identify the person and would not harm us. Abu Samah was a member of the PKMM and was made a member of the Temerloh UMNO committee by its head. When the British declared the Emergency they were going to arrest him but he joined the 10th Regiment from the beginning. One day asked by his mother he returned to her house which had been recently emptied by a guerrilla unit and was now surrounded by the colonial solders. Abu Samah was caught in a trap. Shooting began. An enemy soldier pounced on Abu Samah and held him. But Abu Samah wrestled with him and exlpoded a hand grenade and escaped.

While Abu Samah was entrusted with organising the people at Sungai Siput, Musa Ahmad and I led a group to high ground an hour away from the cave and set tp a temporary camp there. There, publication was made of writing or translations, the writing was stencilled, the typists typed and the printers printed, all worked hard to get the first leaflets out.

Girl in coffee shop

2011-03-30T23:57:00.000-07:00

My regular coffee shop has created a Malaysian first by employing an Indpnesian girl as coffee "boy." How the world is changing! While writing this I am looking at a splendid bungor tree in full bloom. The city council should plant more of these flowering beauties along the street. However poor Anwar, not being a flowering tree, is not allowed to speak in public and we read in the press again and again how the police act to end his public speaking. Which brings me to the news that four leaders of Partai Socialis have declared their assets. Why doesn't Anwar and the others do the same?

The police state is looking at amending the Interlok book. What a joke! Novels will be amended by the police to make the government happy! This is really funny!

Disgusting is the word that comes to mind about Berita Harian poking fun at the tsunami disaster that hit Japan. Is that the cultural level of UMNO's police state?

There is a beautiful kingfisher perched om the telephone wires outside my window. What's the bird
doing here miles from the sea, I wondered.

Rashid Maidin's memoirs

14 Meeting Abdullah CD again

I asked for help to contact Abdullah CD again. I was prepared to do the tough jungle journey to meet the troops which were the pride of the peasants. I vowed I would not shave until I met with the 10th Regiment.

The way from Malacca to Pahang was not an easy one. We could not use the roads or public transport. It was walking all the time. We had to do bukit bukau, mountains, ravines, and cross rivers.

Often we were forced to clash with the enemy or were fired on or bombed. It was in those conditions that I was passed from one unit to another, some big and some small, often forced to back track because of the enemy being in the way. Sometimes we had to wait a long time before proceeding. During this long journey I sometimes met once more young Malays who were active with us before the emergency like Jasmanan, representatives from Johore, who trained in the camp at Kerdau, Pahang. Although it was tough the journey had its rewards. When the situation allowed at each place I arrived at there were welcoming parties for me. First at Malacca, then Negri Sembilan than back to Malacca because when I was at Negri some guerillas had surrendered to the British. If these traitors were not immediately eliminated our hiding places would be exposed and would come under attack. So we had to move. If we moved north the enemy would get to know and block us and attack us. In this situation we had to remember a guerrilla tactic, “One step forward, two steps back.” So we went back to Malacca.

In fact there were less British troops in Malacca because they were concentrating on Negri Sembilan where they were rapidly doing containment and non-stop bombing. We could not meet them head on as they were fully equipped with weapons of war. The British troops were made up of Whites, Blacks and Gurkhas, the last invoking disgust as they are the paid dogs of the British colonialists.

When things were better I went back to Negri Sembilan. I was not sure which area or district were Batu Kikirkah and Kuala Lelawang which I knew. I did not want to ask where I was at the time. It was a rule of discipline that one should never ask what kampong or river it was that one was at like deer losing their way in a kampung. it would arouse suspicions. Most of the people in the area were Chinese with a handful of Malays. My bodyguards and those in charge of my affairs were Chinese. I was not allowed to swim in the river nor bathe at the well. The hut we were in was on top of a hill, the water lay in the valley and I was not allowed to go down to it. They would bring the water up everyday for my personal use. I did not feel comfortable at this, a companion being treated like a tuan as if the locals were coolies. I said, “Don’t bring the water, I will go down and bathe like you do.” but they would reply,”No Dato, you cannot go down.” They addressed me as “Dato.” It started when I was in the Propaganda Unit of the MCP in the days before the Emergency and we would give shows and I acted the part of Dato Onn - a reactionary and one against merdeka and the “Dato” stuck.

We walked and walked and eventually got to Bentong, Pahang and met Chin Peng. Abdullah CD was there too, in discussions with Chin Peng. We were elated for it had taken one year to get to meet Abdullah CD. From Bentong we went to meet the 10th Regiment stationed at Samantan, Temerloh.

At the Regiment I was welcomed by all the cadres and fighters. They celebrated my escape and welcomed me. I was proud and happy to be with the regiment that I loved. I shaved off the long beard that I had grown. From that time on I was fighting together with the commanders and fighters of the 10th Regiment.

Like everyone else in the army I was assigned tasks. I became a member of the headquarters i.e. I became one of the leaders of the regiment and was also in charge of mass work done by 12 men covering Kuala Krau, Termerloh, Pahang.

The experience of my escape was something new. Experience was confined to open political agitation. Army work lasted only one or two weeks before the declaration of the Emergency. Accepting new tasks was something difficult and awkward. But when the Party entrusted me with the new tasks I accepted without question. Later I was asked to lead a company. The company had three platoons each with 30 or 40 soldiers and it was our responsibility to maintain a strength of 100 men. Battles, attacks and clashes it was nothing to us. It was something to be expected by the fighters whose spirits were high. It was a question of logistics, a difficult one. It was for the top leadership but for the cadres lower down to manage, principally the underground cadre. They had the job of supplying clothing, equipment, food and drink, things for critical moments, for long journeys and other needs. This was not the work of the top leadership but I had to be familiar with such work and had to receive reports. Such work was given to people who could really be trusted.

Discipline in the Party and guerrilla Army was strict. We practised democratic centralism. Matters were discussed freely and the deepest feelings were expressed but once a decision was made all must consent. The higher levels had to listen to and pay heed to the matters of those in the lower ranks, who in turn must accept the orders and directives from above. We could not practice a free for all democracy. We couldn’t do that as we were in the middle of a war where there were many secrets to keep which once the enemy learnt would bring about death and destruction.

The fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army were not handpicked from childhood. When they joined they were old enough to carry guns, in their late teens, or early twenties. When would they become as revolutionary as us? That is why we had to practice democratic centralism.

We needed discipline. We had to be watchful for the disorderly ones. Then there were those who ran away. We were quick to administer corrections. Groups had to be reorganised. Delay would mean the enemy would know where we were and would launch large scale attacks. Members of other units would note the appearance of disorderly ones and we had to have long talks with them about this. They would be critical of the leadership if the leadership did not clear up their doubts about this. We had to quickly investigate and if confirmed that discipline had been breached which endangered the army not to speak of those who tried to contact enemy informers - these devils we had to kill.

Sex videos

2011-03-23T22:30:00.000-07:00

The thing about the anti-Anwar sex videos is that they reveal the makers and their friends have nothing to present by way of argument. They resort to gutter tactics. But how far will that bring them to their target of demolishing Anwar? If the opposition to Anwar continues to shout from the wc what headway will they make?

Flogging

2011-03-18T22:38:00.000-07:00

30,000 workers have been caned. The British notorious for their savage flogging of the lower classes did away with this barbarous practice long ago but colonies like Malaya continue this cruel inheritance despite UN codes of behaviour. They have never questioned whether this British barbarism is Islamic or not. We are not Islamic experts but cannot fail to note that we do not see this sort of flogging in Iran.

The colonial mind

2011-03-13T03:45:00.000-07:00

Both Edward Said and Syed Hussein Al-Attas have explained the colonial mind which continues to guide writing in this country. The latest proof of this is in an article in the magazine Penang Economic Monthly in which the author says that the All Malaya Council of Joint action failed because among other things "the Malays were unwilling to trust the non-Malays." To say that the British war to crush the opposition formed by the solid unity of the many political organisations to ensure their survival aided by the dollar earning rubber and tin was a "failure of the Council" is an outright lie serving the propaganda of colonial Britain. Sadly worship of colonial Britain still continues in this country.

Dalai Lama

2011-03-10T21:26:00.000-08:00

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.

Freedom Film Fest

2011-03-07T00:08:00.000-08:00

We liked Freedom Film Fest's (Komas) latest which among others tells us about the plight of the Orang Asli. Very good because it tells us about the people and the tragedy of how they are losing their traditional lands. Another subject makes the resiting of an Indian temple the centre of a piece on religious tolerance

Fan Yew Teng

2011-02-23T20:56:00.000-08:00

Fan Yew Teng

If we remember right the late Fan Yew Teng was the honest fellow who agreed with Lena Jaeger (later a Baroness) that Harry Lee's PAP was not socialist and had planned to have the PAP expelled from the Socialist International (Harry Lee quickly got out before that happened). Sadly none of what was written after his death mentions this fact which shows the intellectual honesty of the man who was himself a member of the PAP

Fan Yew Teng

2011-02-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

If we remember right the late Fan Yew Teng was the honest fellow who agreed with Lena Jaeger (later a Baroness) that Harry Lee's PAP was not socialist and had planned to have the PAP expelled from the Socialist International (Harry Lee quickly got out before that happened). Sadly none of what was written after his death do not mention this fact which shows the intellectual honesty of the man who was himself a member of the PAP

Sleeping Council

2011-02-16T22:55:00.000-08:00

The Penang City Cuncil dos not seem to understand its job. For example. A huge signboard has come up next to a coffee shop in Macalister Road announcing a new PET Shop. And it is sits right next to a coffee shop. Are the Council people one eyed or is it corruption?

Where pilitics rule

2011-02-11T00:06:00.000-08:00

At Batu Ferringhi it happens again and again. A buggy knocks down a tourist on the beach .There follows a public outcry for regulation A water scooter cuts open the shoulder of a swimmer. There follows a demand for controls. And of course nothing is done. Such accidents will be reported again and again. But nothing is done. The reason is quite simple: politics. Politicians are in control and if powerful enough can never be controlled.

Interlok

2011-01-31T23:12:00.000-08:00

All that fuss about Interlok - there is even a move to have a government committee amend the fiction - can anything be more silly and dangerous? Just imagine what that will lead to! Those involved must surely be aware that they are smearing themselves with the fascist paint and being exposed as pro-ISA If you are not happy with Interlok write a review and publish it in you blog!

Rashid Maidin Memoirs

2011-01-30T02:55:00.000-08:00

12 To Tanjung Bruas 1948-52

After a year and a half of detention I was transferred to a detention camp at Tanjung Bruas, Malacca. Historic Malacca, where colonisation began and where Dr Burhanuddin and I began the road show for merdeka. It was the place that inspired the propitious words of Dr Burhanuddin Al-Helmy, “From the ruins of Malacca will rise the spirit of merdeka.” For me, taken from place to place, handcuffed, chained, fenced in by walls and barbed wire the spirit of merdeka never died.

The detention camp was several times bigger than Pulau Jerejak’s. It housed several thousand detainees held in blocks each with 200 to 300 persons. The blocks were separated by barbed wire standing about 12 feet high. Ahmad Boestamam and Pak Sako (IshakHaji Muhammad) were here too. I often met them and talked to them when we chanced to meet.

I knew Ahmad Boestamam well from the time of PKMM in 1945. When PKMM moved toKL we went too and lived in the same building. Ahmad Boestamam loved chit chatting. Sometimes the talk did seem to mean anything in particular and was rambling. I remembered that before the emergency he had proposed to me that API take up armed struggle. Boestamam’s thinking was like ours, that merdeka must be achieved by armed struggle. He, Abdullah CD and Dr Burhanuddin had discussed the setting up of armed forces to fight the British.

At Tanjung Bruaas we met again but we were not in the same block. I was in Block K with the Cik Muda from Terengganu, Teacher Hamid of Kelantan and Ustaz Yahya Nasim of Selangor and members of the PKMM and the MCP. I was elected the president of the block.

Living conditions were worse than in Pulau Jerejak. We were angry at being forced to carry our waste pots and to clean latrines. So after only one week we formed a committee to organise a hunger strike, demanding that we should not be made to dispose of w.c. waste, that we be allowed to buy necessaries from outside, receive things from our families and allowed to have a place of worship, After three weeks, the authorities were forced to give in to our demands. We also won the right to play badminton at night and to read the Straits Times but not the Utusan Melayu, which they considered a radical paper.

If we didn’t make use of so much free time during detention with some activity we’d be bored. So we ran classes in English as there were many teachers who were good at the language. I also joined these classes to improve my English and also to help those whose level was lower than mine. Many left the camp able to speak an write English.

Many things were happening in the country during my three years at this camp. Although we were cut off from the Party we learnt from talks with the guards and the police that the guerilla war against the colonialists had started and was being actively pursued. Many clashes had occurred here and there and the British did not have the upper hand. The 10th Regiment of the Malayan National Liberation Army was a group of which I attended the foundation classes was developing successfully The news strengthened our will and fighting spirit.

The guerrilla war was costly for the colonialists and resulted in a slide i the economy. They used cheap labour to build police stations and barracks, guard stations and such like to deal with the freedom revolution launched by the MCP’s Malaya National Liberation Army. Even prisoners were mobilised. The British selected 12 detainees to build a police station at Caruk Batang, Jasin, Malacca. I was selected because I knew the officers there well. My friends did not agree with my being selected. They thought I thought only of myself and the pay given. I could not explain and had to keep my plans secret.

I had been in detention for five an a half years: six months in Taiping, two years in Pulau Jerejak and three years in Tanjung Bruas. I remembered the time when I was taken out of camp and was questioned by an English special branch officer who was accompanied by a son of the Sultan of Selangor. Many questions were asked and I answered them one by one. I took the opportunity to ask why I was being held for so long and what specific evidence of my crimes did they have. The reply was that I was accused of being a communist adding, looking at the file before him, that I had spoken openly about it. I told him that as long as there are British colonialists here we would fight. There was nothing wrong about that. Many priests, lebai, religious teachers, and school teachers had been called communist and detained. Actually all wanted the British out. Nothing wrong there.

The man said to me, "How long more do you think you will be detained?" I said I wasn't the one doing the detaining. He said it would be years. I said it would not be my choice. They could what they liked, we would wait and see.

So it was natural that I laways thought of ways of escaping from the grip of the colonial authorities. I did not want to die in detention, it would be an abomination, a waste of my life and efforts , a death of no significance. It was better a death being shot in a clash against the enemy of the country an people - the British colonialists. These thoughts haunted me all the time.

But I had to be restrained and rational unlike the young man from Pahang who jumped the barbed fence one night and ran to the sea. He was captured. It seems he was in a sort of religious frenzy. He was lucky the camp guards, all Malay, usually did not shoot at the prisoners who were Malay like them.

When the chance came to work outside the camp the thought flashed in my mind that here was a chance to get my freedom. So I offered to do the work.

We, the selected twelve were paid one dollar a day. At the beginning we were taken to and from work escorted by policemen. This was a chance to talk to Ahmad Boestamam about the news. He asked me why I was working outside and I told him that he should know. I asked him to work with me so we could escape together. He rejected my proposal and gave me this advice. General Templer (the Governor) was a clever and cunning man. I had to be careful.

I had to think more thoroughly about my planned escape. If General Templer was clever he would not have chosen me to work outside the camp a known communist, not an ordinary one but a high ranking cadre. But deep inside me was the feeling that this could be a trap. I thought carefully over Bustamam’s advice. What if they set a bait to tempt me to escape and I am shot while taking the bait. The confusing possibilities kept me awake nights. But the more I thought about it a trap seemed unlikely.

I made up my mind to escape. I went to see Ahmad Boestamam again. He was a brave man with whom I could share my secrets. I also felt that it was not right not to leave a message. Someone should know of my plans so that if it succeeded, and the news spread, the other detainees would be inspired.

Having spoken to him I said goodbye. He was in tears when he wished me every success. I knew then that he supported me in this venture. I trust Allah will bless his soul.

After a week we were told to live at the police barracks which were surrounded by barbed wire. We were guarded by 4 policemen led by a sergeant known as Pak Mi. He was not happy with the British because he was recalled although he had retired. Besides he had heard me speak at Malacca before the emergency was declared. He became a good friend of mine.

At the midday meal we ate with the police. Pal Mi would bring the UtusanMelayu for me to read. I read the paper aloud so that he too could hear the news. Pak Mi once told me that his job was ro look after kerbau balau meaning the white men not the detainees.

Luckily I had become a skilled labourer before the Japanese facists came, know something about electricity, construction plans and other things. SO much so tha many of the building matters came to me. I was made head of the workers and plans were submitted to me. The engineer was Indian. Sometimes he came sometimes ot. It was same with the white policemen. Without their presence things relaxed and we ate and drank with the policemen, read the newspapers and talked.

Weld Quay

2011-01-24T23:13:00.000-08:00

We have previously introduced the eating place with a tree at Weld Quay. If you go along the road away from the ferry you will come across Tan Jetty. It offers plenty of parking space, nice tables set by the sea and is a very pleasant place where you can enjoy a beer and at the same time look across the dark sea to lighted up Wellesley.

Brutality

2011-01-20T02:56:00.001-08:00

Thursday January 20, 2011
Cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment
DIPLOMATICALLY SPEAKING
By DENNIS IGNATIUS

Last month, Amnesty International published a report drawing attention to the fact that judicial caning in Malaysia has reached epidemic proportions. Since 2002, when the Immigration Act was amended to include corporal punishment, nearly 48,000 prisoners have been whipped in Malaysia.

It is a shocking reminder of the cruel, inhuman and degrading way we treat prisoners, particularly refugees and illegal migrants.

Caning or whipping is a horrendous form of punishment. Maximum force, with the cane travelling at speeds of up to 160kph, is applied. The whiplash of the cane (usually a piece of rattan about 1.09m long and 1.25cm thick that is soaked in water) literally takes the skin off the buttocks and then pounds the flesh into pulp. Skin disintegrates. Blood flows copiously.

The pain is so severe that victims often lose consciousness. And when they do, they are quickly revived by doctors so that punishment can continue.

How doctors can participate in this kind of abuse is beyond understanding.

Whipping leaves deep scars that take months to heal. It also leaves deep emotional and psychological wounds that mark the victims for the rest of their lives.

In 2007, a six-minute video of a drug trafficker being caned in Malaysia found its way onto the Internet. Those who think that caning is an acceptable form of punishment should take the trouble to view it.

I personally found it too disturbing to watch. It brought back memories of my late father’s treatment at the hands of the Kempeitai – the military police of the Imperial Japanese Army during the war years. My father was whipped so badly that he carried the scars on his back and buttocks to his grave some fifty years later.

That such horrific abuse is still being visited upon people today is mind-boggling.

And all this despite the fact that there is no evidence that caning is an effective deterrence. It simply panders to our baser instincts to inflict pain upon those who transgress.

Furthermore, such forms of corporal punishment are clearly against the 1948 Universal Declara-tion of Human Rights which states that, “No one shall be subject to torture or to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment”.

Malaysia has always been an ardent supporter of the UN and proudly sits on its Human Rights Council, yet we violate one of its most cherished principles. We lose the moral authority to speak on human rights issues when we ourselves don’t cherish and uphold them.

Some years ago, Malaysians joined the global outrage over the treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. America was rightly condemned for behaving in such a cruel and callous manner. What does it now say of us when we are silent about something far worse that is taking place in our prisons on an almost daily basis?

What is even more egregious is that we visit such horrific punishment upon hapless refugees and illegal migrants as well.

Refugees from Myanmar, for example, flee in fear and desperation from well documented abuse, torture and death in their own land only to be further abused in Malaysia.

According to Amnesty International, more than 6,000 refugees are caned, up to 24 times each, every year!

This is morally reprehensible and a great blight upon our nation’s honour.

Of course, we are not the only ones to permit judicial caning. It is widely practised in Singapore and Brunei as well, courtesy of our common British colonial heritage. Caning is now increasingly considered a cheaper alternative to jailing offenders. Illegal migrants are whipped and then deported.

Not surprisingly, many countries seem to ignore this appalling abuse of their own citizens in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. If Australian, British or American citizens were similarly treated, there would be an international uproar, which explains why such punishment is rarely inflicted on them.

Our poorer Asian neighbours, on the other hand, remain silent largely because they fear antagonising us and jeopardising an important source of foreign income in the remittances that these migrant workers send home each month. For countries like the Philippines, Bangladesh and Nepal, for example, such remittances make a significant contribution to their economy.

Perhaps it is also because Asian governments tend to place a lower premium on human dignity.

Whatever the reason, shame on them for staying silent while their citizens are so harshly treated abroad.

Of course, Myanmar’s military rulers are not going to lose any sleep over the treatment of Karen, Kachin or Rohingya people abroad, but surely we become complicit in the injustice wreaked upon these people if they end up being abused and punished in Malaysia as well.

When asked about the leaked caning video in 2007, the Deputy Home Minister at the time said it was “no big deal”.

But it is a big deal when our nation inflicts such horrendous suffering upon prisoners, upon migrant workers and upon refugees. It tarnishes our image and invites international scorn.

And it is a big deal because we are better than that.

It’s time we end this barbaric form of punishment. Certainly, we should immediately stop the caning of refugees and illegal migrants.

Datuk Dennis Ignatius is a 36-year veteran of the Malaysian foreign service. He served in London, Beijing and Washington and was ambassador to Chile and Argentina. He retired as High Commissioner to Canada in July 2008.

Rashid Maidin memoirs

2011-01-12T03:53:00.000-08:00

11 In detention

The proclamation of the Emergency was towards the end of June 1948. I had not imagined that the proclamation would be so soon nor how mercilessly it would be carried out. My wife who was ill then thought something unexpected would happen to me.

A Malay intelligence man appeared with a summons for me to attend at the police station. I told my wife and three kids about this and kissed them goodbye with an assurance that I would be back the next day. I went down the stairs followed by the tears of my children. My wife hid her tears. That was the last time we were together.

I was detained as a communist and was first locked up in Telok Anson (now called Telok Intan), then in Taiping prison. I was handcuffed together with a young Chinese and put on the train. I bumped into Aminudin Baki when he was returning to Chemor after schooling in Singapore. He seemed uneasy. "Brother Rashid arrested?” he asked, shaking his head followed by “Brother don’t worry, be firm and don’t waver.” I replied, “I will not waver.”

Before we parted he gave me an English magazine he was reading and one dollar. I refused to accept them but he said they might become useful.

Aminudin was then under the influence of the PKMM and API. He used to come to see me and Abdullah CD at the office of the MCP at Ipoh. He had asked us to help him to study in Indonesia but then the Indonesians were fighting the Dutch and he was forced instead to go to Singapore. He later became chief adviser on education in the Federation.

After three nights in the lock-up, Taiping, I was sent to prison. I wore my own clothes but had to eat prison food which consisted of rice mixed either with tapioca or sweet potato and served with kangkong. A piece of fish was added once a week. One bowl a meal, and no second helping. In the mornings it was rice broth with ground paddy husks with a bit of salt. It was boring, nauseating, but like it or not, we had no choice but to lump it.

Six months after 50 more prisoners joined us. Among them Ustaz Abu Bakar Al- Baqir, teachers Sabrun and Sarip and Osman Bakar of Perak, teacher Mat Din of Kedah. Others came from Pahang,and Johore, members of the PKMM, PETA, BTM, trade unions and other organisations. Escorted to the detention camp at Pulau Jerejak were Malays, Chinese and Indians. In our group the Malays and Chinese were more or less the same in number. Most of the young were in their teens or early twenties. We were in chains during the journey tied up in groups of ten to twelve, closely guarded by Malay policemen led by English superintendents. We walked, dragging our chains watched by the public, then boarded a ferry at Butterworth forPulau Jerejak.

What was strange was that we were not questioned. Only once did a special branch policeman from Ipoh see me and that was to identify me as Rashid bin Maidin. Perhaps the colonialists were too busy making the arrests; it was known that 5000 were detained in one night after which the arrests continued.

At Pulau Jerejak there were at that time 500 prisoners made up of various races and placed in 7 to 8 sheds large enough to hold about 100 persons. The food was the same as we had in Taiping jail but we cooked our own food. To improve things we set up a committee to organise a hunger strike to win the right to buy from outside and receive things from our relatives. The committee was made up of all communities; the Malays were myself and Osman Bakar, a member of the PKMM from Tanjong Rambutan.

The camp officers were probably shamed by our action. They threatened us by saying refusal to eat was an offence. We replied that we should be able to do what we asked for. After five days they agreed to our demands; we were allowed to buy from the canteen once a week and to receive parcels from outside. I had little patience during the negotiations with the White officers and argued with them. So they abused me saying I did not respect them and was rude.

Teoh Beng Hock

2011-01-09T01:08:00.000-08:00

The coroner did not surprise when he found that Teoh Beng Hock's death (he died while questioned by police) was neither from suicide or homicide. throws light on our system of justice does it not? Ghosts must be lurking everywhere

Trams

2011-01-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

Auckland regretting the "terrible mistake" of 1956 in removing its trams has brought them back. Penang should do what Aukland has done. We all miss our trams

Rahsid Maidin

2010-12-25T23:04:00.000-08:00

Rashid Maidin

10 The struggle for independence

The determined efforts of the MCP, the PKMM, unions and associations, together with the progressive leaders of the various communities to realise the dream of “Merdeka,” were welcomed by the people everywhere. Cries of “Merdeka” echoed throughout the country. The loudest calls came from the PKMM and associations such as API and PETA (which replaced API after it was banned by the British) and AWAS, BTM and Hisbul Muslimin.

To distract the people and throw dust in their eyes the British produced the plan called the Malayan Union. The pre-war FMS and UFMS, where the Sultans and Rajas had been proclaimed the heads of the Muslim religion and Malay customs and more or less treated as heads of state under British administration, now came into the Malayan Union. The Sultans and Rajas were humiliatingly made to sign the agreement. The Malays felt threatened by this Malayan Union and rose to oppose it. It was in this atmosphere that Dato Onn formed UMNO. This explains the slogan “Hidup Melayu,” whereas we in PKM and PKMM called for “merdeka,” for which we were branded extremists. The non-Malays, mainly the Chinese opposed the scheme because it excluded Singapore.

Because the people’s call for independence was brushed aside by the colonialists the Malay left gathered together to form the PUTERA and the non-Malays got together under the umbrella All Malaya Council of Joint Action (AMCJA). With these organisations joining together to form the PUTERA-AMCJA alliance the people became a gigantic force. Together they launched a nationwide hartal which lasted one week. That week workers went on strike, shops closed. The British administration was shaken. The country was silent. It was as if it had been attacked by a garuda. Everyone obeyed the instructions of the Party which made our work easy. Everyone we met honoured us and we returned the compliment by spreading news of the hartal and the demand for independence. The demand was supported by all whether they were workers, labourers in the fields, trishaw pedlars, or shopkeepers.

Abdullah CD and I continued to work to develop the left within the PKMM while occupied with the Malay Department of the MCP which was working on the unity of all Malay groups under the dream of independence. Up to then the British had shown their teeth and suppressed our activities as well as that of the left. They refused to let us hold mass meetings or to hold processions during celebrations, and banned API, headed by Ahmad Boestamam.

We set up PETA to replace API. It was not easy to dampen the enthusiasm for independence. The people who were awakened to political consciousness and organised in basic organisations were not afraid to come to meetings although often they were forced to attack police obstruction and threats from the colonial machine. It was certain that the British colonialists were uncomfortable and felt threatened by the overshadowing spirit of independence. Signs that the British were going to use more repressive laws to suppress the rising people were becoming clearer.

From daily observation and systematic political analysis the MCP could see that the British would launch oppressive measures more fierce and bloody than before. The Party issued directives to cadres to withdraw to the countryside. At the same time, about the middle of June 1948 Malay cadres were directed to attend a Party school in Lubuk Kawah at Temerloh, Pahang.

The leader of the school was a representative of the central committee of the MCP, Haji Hashim, whose original name was Chen Nam. Cadres came from the whole country and they included myself and Abdullah CD. The school was provide guidance for the training and preparation of cadres for forming guerilla units in every nook and corner of the country to drive the British colonialists out of this country. We had only two weeks of political education and basic army training after which I has assigned to set up a unit in Sungai Manik, Perak.

So I moved to Labu Kubong, Sungai Manik. There I found a piece of land with which to support my family and to carry out the Party’ s assigned tasks and there waited for directives. It was the same with the majority of the young men and women who had been trained. Back to the kampong and to their homes , to understand the situation and to wait for developments. That time our intelligence tended to be conservative and behind the times with the result that hundreds of Party members were rounded up and detained by the British colonialists. Luckily the main organisation was not damaged and very quickly the cadres were reunited with the armed forces and established the National Liberation Army of Malaya.

Horror

2010-12-25T02:07:00.000-08:00

Another proof that those in authority don't give a damn about the environment is the plan to do a steel mill on 400 acres of forest land in Lumut
And the pity is there is not even a whisper from the NGOs

Unthinking

2010-12-23T03:13:00.000-08:00

"Aspirations of our founding fathers" - a phrase unthinkingly used by some of our political groups whose "aspiratioins" are completely different form the "fathers" They should choose their words with care

Frightening

2010-12-14T22:26:00.000-08:00

Terry Jones
Saturday May 5, 2007
The Guardian

Campaigning in Oklahoma the other day, the Republican senator John McCain was asked what should be done about Iran. He responded by singing, "Bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran", to the tune of the Beach Boys' Barbara Ann. (Join the hilarity and see for yourself on YouTube.) How can any thinking person disagree? I mean, any country with a president who doesn't shave properly and never wears a tie deserves what's coming to it - a lot of American bombs, with a few British ones thrown in to ensure we don't miss out on the ensuing upsurge in terrorism.

Lim Chong Eu

2010-12-04T22:39:00.000-08:00

Tun Lim Chong Eu has had a very interesting life. One of six doctors who included Lim Kean Hock and Lau Fook Khean who were invited by Dr Robert Lim on a visit to London to help in China he remained behind while the others left China, appalled by the dead killed by the winter in the streets and by the blackmarketting of pennicilin which fetched 3 million yuan (uniforms cost 3 million) He rose to the rank of col general; became personal doctor to Chen Cheng the prime minister but came back to Penang when Deng Xiao Ping drove the PM to Taiwan. His great contribution was the turning of Penang into another Silicon Valley. He set an example by not making any comments on the performance of his successors.

Dogs

2010-09-29T23:05:00.001-07:00

(picture) Magazines at my dentist's waiting room.

The new tenant opposite has brought with him many dogs. Next door to him complains they make a lot of noise and run through his fencing into his place He is going to complain to the city council for he believes the law is not more than two dogs per house. They are very noisy. Woman explains she collects strays.

2010-08-29T02:06:00.000-07:00

Lau Heo Hnui (Burmah Cross) - restful place for lunch

From Rashid Maidin’s memoirs

9 The Commonwealth Communist Parties Conference 1947

After the second world war, the political consciousness of the peoples, especially of Asia, grew sharply. They wanted colonialism - their oppressor - to end and wanted immediate independence. This was the situation in which the Commonwealth Communist Parties Conference was held in 1947. From Malaya the Malayan Communist Party sent three delegates who represented the three major races being myself, a Malay, Wu Tien Wang, a Chinese, and Balan, an Indian.

When I was chosen I did not think that I was suitable for the job. When Chin Peng told me of the decision he asked me how I felt. I replied that it was not right because I had only a shallow knowledge of things. Chin Peng said, “Then go to London and learn.” Chin Peng was right. I steeled myself and hoped to learn on the journey abroad and increase my knowledge and experience on visits to other countries.

We went by ship across the Indian Ocean. It was my first trip abroad. I looked as far as I could above the roaring and rolling waves. I thought I was lucky and at the same time proud that I had been entrusted with the task of being a delegate to the country of the Mat Salleh. A poor son of the soil, with a low standard of education and, a worker who would never have had such a chance as this if it were not for the struggle. In those days visiting foreign countries, such as England, was not for anybody; it was only for the rich and influential who went at the bidding of the British.

I recalled the words of Raifel: “Wherever you go, you will find friends as along as you are in the great struggle”. This was exactly what I experienced for soon, I found friends in the struggle abroad. How happy and proud I was.

On the same ship were two White priests from Indonesia. These two Christians did not know who we were though we ate at the same table. They questioned us but we did to reveal who we were. They told us that Indonesia was upside down, caused by the communists. There was no safety anywhere so they were forced to go to London. We asked why. They told us that Indonesians were tame and easy to look after. Forty rupiah a month was big money to them. Even twenty to thirty rupiah was no problem. But when the communist arrived there is trouble, forcing them to leave for London. I was angry hearing this but had to discipline myself to silence, otherwise a quarrel would develop, doing no good to anyone. I thought to myself: ”Those communists in Indonesia are my heroes fighting for their country’s independence. These White Christians are the representatives of the colonialists. Their thinking and their attitude is colonising a country.”

The days passed and the ship got to India where it stopped fo two days. Friends of the communist party of India led by its leader P C Joshi welcomed us and brought us to their headquarters. We were served rice on banana leaves. Although we had never met before we became close friends, bound by the spirit of internationalism and joint struggle. They joined us in the journey to London.

When our train arrived at Liverpool, a group wearing red flowers ran up with welcoming looks entered the train shouting, “From Malaya? From Malaya?” We greeted them and embraced them for they were from the communist party of England come to welcome us.

Delegates arrived from the Commonwealth and we were able to talk and to exchange experiences. I felt proud and lucky to be with such a great and noble gathering. We had never met before but internationalism gave us one heart and one life. All came together as equals. My mind flashed back to the days before World War II. When we met a White man we had to say “Tabik tuan” and we were taught that in school too. And all work would stop. It was as if they were angels from heaven. So when I arrived in London his remained stuck in my mind that the White man had a comfortable life, and was respected. Although I had seen them fleeing in disorder before the Japanese fascist onslaught, my picture of the White man in England was different. When I walked abut in London there were people coming up to me to ask if I had a card. In those days you needed a card to buy clothes and food. Everyone had to have a ration card. The fellows who came up to me had cards to sell. There were many down and outs roaming the streets. They used many ways to find food. Some begged. Surely the high and mighty White man coud not be that poor! I then forgot my anger. I stopped at the shoeshine and had my shoes cleaned. It was a mental revolution for me.

Coming back to the Commonwealth Conference, it lasted one week. The delegations as I remember were from Malaya, Burma, Ceylon, India, Australia, Canada and from the Middle East. The communist party of England was the host. Each delegation made a report on the struggles for independence. We reported on the fight against the Japanese fascists led by the communist party, the awakening of the masses after the war and the movement for independence. The conference gave high praise to our delegation as representatives of the heroes who died fighting the Japanese fascists and there was thunderous applause for us. There were many who were amazed that our armed people fought the Japanese fascists for three years; to them it was a mystery. They wanted to know how we communists organised an army that moved swiftly in the jungle, organised attacks and other matters.

The Cenference ended with drafting a declaration demanding independence for all British colonies. It was aimed at removing the British grip on lands they had grabbed and encouraging the international struggle for independence. Although it was the fist time we met, my internationalist friends left a deep impression. After that we often corresponded by telegram or letters.

When we were in London there was an unexpected visit by an English woman who claimed to be a messenger from Tunku Abdul Rahman who was then doing his law studies. We asked where the Tunku was but she said he was very busy but had a letter for us which she delivered. In his letter the Tunku apologised for not being able to attend the conference as an observer and he sent his best wishes for its success.

The former British Resident of Selangor, too, sent a letter in which he hoped to meet me to discuss political developments in Malaya. I thought this must be because the British colonialists wanted to know at first hand the development of the communist ideology among the Malays, a threat to their rule. I ignored the letter.

No long after our delegation returned a delegation comprising Dr Burhanuddin Al-Helmy, Abdullah CD and others left to attend the Afro-Asia Conference at New Delhi which was also to discuss the independence of the countries of Asia. When they returned I toured the country with Dr Burhanuddin - I, representing the MCP, and Dr Burhanuddin the PKMM - to strengthen the call for independence by reporting the spirit of the conferences to the people.

Our delegation was warmly welcomed wherever we wwent. Extraordinary crowds met us in Malacca. In Kedah it was the same. They prepared food for us at the Saberkas Restaurant to which Khir Johari, Senu Abdul Rahman, Zahari Taib and others came. In Selangor we were welcomed by Melan Abdullah, Mustapha Hussein and others. In Kelantan we were met by Saad Shukri Hj Muda. We went to Kota Bharu, Pasir Puteh and other towns and held rallies. In Trengganu we were welcomed by Cik Muda from Besut and Ibrahim Fikri from Kuala Trengganu. Ustaz Abu Bakar Al-Baqir, a famous religious leader and prinxipal of a school the Sekolah Maahad Al-Ehya Assyarif, Gunung Samanggol, welcomed us in Perak.

During this journey I was inspired by the reception we got. Even family members of the sultans attended our talks and meetings. The spirit of merdeka was truly alive in the country.

(To be continued)

Letter from Pulau Tikus

Bad news

I think we have to face the facts squarely, writes Syed Akbar Ali. . Foreign investors are losing interest in our country. Foreign Direct Investment fell 81% in 2009. Not only have FDI’s decreased substantially but domestic investment in the manufacturing sector has also decreased over 2008 / 2009.

In 2009 the capital investment in manufacturing that was approved by the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (Mida) fell 48% to RM32.6bil. Of this amount, FDI accounted for 68% or RM22.1bil, a 52% drop from the previous year. Over the same period, approvals of domestic investment fell to RM10.5bil or a 37.1% decline from 2008. These are approvals only. The actual startups usually suffer attrition too.

There was an outflow of capital amounting to RM117bil for 2008 and RM54bil for 1H 2009. The outflow of capital does not seem to be abating.

Malaysia now lags behind the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore in attracting FDIs.

Malaysia’s share of inward FDI into the Asean economies ranged between 10% - 12% over 1999-2003 and 2004-2008. Singapore captured 58% of FDIs into Asean in the first five year period and 45% over 2004-2008. Even Thailand did better than Malaysia by attracting 17% of FDIs over 2004-2008

Every one knows why but the no writer dares tell the truth..

No pity

The Minister of Women’s Affairs Shahrizat Abdul Jalil is reported to have said said that the buang bayi people whose actions result in the death of babies should be given the death penalty.

Syed Akbar Ali writes that he is surprised that Shahrizat has even lost her woman’s instincts. I would assume that women would or should be less cruel than men. Maybe I am naïve in this area. Maybe its the new age equality?

These are kids we are talking about – our children. Most of these baby dumping cases involve teenaged girls or young women. And a large majority of them (if not all of them) are Malays or Muslims. Has anyone stopped to think why this is so? They are just children. Children having children. And we want to sentence these children to death? Kenapa gila sangat suka bunuh orang ini?

We are supposed to preserve human life, not destroy life. These are young kids who are victims of their society and their strange belief systems. They are not hardened criminals or bank robbers. They need counseling and guidance. You don’t sentence them to death.

The writer says he is glad that the statement by the MCA’s Ng Yen Yen:

“MCA believes the problem of baby dumping can be tackled effectively through proper education and a change of mentality within society, said its vice president Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen. She said a reproductive health education programme could help prevent or reduce unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease. "MCA feels that the capital punishment proposed for dumping babies is too harsh and will only make things worse. Meting out the death penalty on those who abandon babies is too heavy a punishment," she told reporters.

As Ng Yen Yen suggests we need proper education to teach our young people. I feel that more than the boys (they don’t listen anyway) the girls should be given a comprehensive education beginning in secondary school about the entire reproductive process, pregnancy, birth control, self protection and preservation. In some countries they provide free birth control devices to teenagers. This is a very good idea. This is the “just in case” option. Just in case the girl gets into a tricky situation, at least she will know what to do.

We also need State funding to set up discrete yet easily accessible counselling centres and pre natal centres where pregnant teens can go for help and counselling. This part will require a sea change in our society’s attitude. But as Ng Yen Yen suggests, society needs to be educated too.

Death penalty

We are glad that the home minister rejects calls for the death penalty for child rapists. It will not solve the problem he said Those who glibly call for the death penalty should read the arguments of those in the British Parliament that finally convinced the pro-hanging advocates to finally agree that hanging was no solution for the crime that called for it.

Penang heritage week

We were sorry to see Emily of Emerald Hill presented as part of the celebration of Penang Heritage Week. This lamentable farce, a complete misrepresentation of the rich of Emerald Hill, Singapore is certainly not Penang. Equally sad is the Week’s presentation of so called “Nyonya dancing.” If the author had indeed a Nynonya for a mother she would have killed him I am sure for insultingly calling her a prostitute for that was what a Nynona thought of a women who danced, something horrible to be done by ronggeng and joget and more modernly the cheong sam clad cabaret girls . But to suggest that the Nyona danced! The cheek of the Penang Heritage Week!

Ban

The government has banned Zunar’s books of political cartoons.
Home Ministry Secretary-General Mahmood Adam said, “[The books] have been banned for their contents that can influence the people to revolt against the leaders and government policies.” Adding, “The contents are not suitable for and detrimental to public order.”

Zunar’s comment: “They can ban my books, they can ban my publications, but they can’t ban my mind! I will not stop drawing till the last drop of my pen.”

Was the reason the cover of the banned volume, ahowing Najib in command of his ship, KD Altantuya?

Jokers Without Any Sense of Humor, comments M Bakri Musa

Civil service

The chief minister’s criticism of the state development officer, his reort and subsequent defence by the chief secretary to the government shows how the civil service has gone down the drain since Dr Mahathir’s time. It would have been unheard of in the days when the civil service was the civil service devoted the loyal service to it masters, serving it in silence.

Suaram’s Urgent Appeals

what it tell us of government actions in Penang

* Stop the arrests of refugees and release the 45 Sri Lankan refugees now

* Release 9 student activists arrested for demanding campus autonomy and freedom of academic activity

* Stop the repatriation of the Sri Lankan refugees and asylum seekers now!

* Stop the Repatriation of the Sri Lankan Refugees Now!

* 16 Arrested at a Candlelight vigil near Dataran Merdeka

Rule of law

The construction of the hostel for RMAF trainees was carried out without a building plan/building permission approved by the MPPP. The MPPP stopped the work after receiving complaints from residents close by. It appears that work has indeed stopped.

But we learn that Federal projects elsewhere have stop orders.

Local governments should take the matter to court or call for amendments to the law, if they have not already done so

It’s a mystery why if the Council was serious it did not go to court. It’s also a mystery why no political party has said anything about this violation by the military of the rule of law

“Independent thinking”

Parti Sosialis Malaysia highlights the government’s desire to scrap exams and instead to get students to do “independent thinking.” It asks: “Does the media, controlled by, and serving as the mouthpiece of the ruling class, foster independent thinking? Do our institutions such as the judiciary encourage independent views? Haven’t independent minded judges been ungraciously removed? Haven’t civil society organizations critical of government policy been penalized with delayed registration, or in many cases denied registration altogether? Haven’t workers and other groups demonstrating for a minimum wage act that has been denied by the government so far, been harassed, and dispersed? And isn’t the ISA still retained by the government to put away individuals who dare to think and act independently? How about the University and University Colleges Act that stifles alternative and independent thinking and action among students in tertiary institutions?
Look at our school history books. More than one entire half of Malaysian history has been completely blacked out. The first groups that fought for independence from the British are not only not recognized but also, if at all mentioned, painted as traitors to the nation. Is Muhyiddin prepared to have our history books rewritten so that students are given the opportunity to look at the whole picture?

Guaranteed employment

What to do with retired ministers? Some retire with fortunes, others are appointed to new jobs in newly created bodies like the Land Public Transport Commission. We wonder what this new job creation baby is supposed to do.

My Second Home

We learn that of the 19,000 who have chosen Malaysia as “My Second Home” most are Chinese, followed by Bangladeshis But why only 19,000 .

Civil servants

The PM’s Department has 43,544 civil servants. The figure was 21045 in 2003. Unbelievable figures don’t you think? - but good for helping with the employment figures.

Pets

At last there are now “No pets” signs in coffee shops, part of the cleaner eating places campaign. We hope never to see again those moneyed girls in their London clothes feeding their “mama darlings” at the same table and from the same plates. Meanshile noone of the coffee shop owners dare tell their customers to leave with their dogs

Chilli powder

One reader has found a new use for chilli powder - as a deterrent to the hordes of squirrels, which feed from the bird food that the birds discard. Squirrels find chilli as challenging as humans so she pounded peanuts with dried chilli powder and sprinkled it on the ground and it seems to have done the trick. Birds do not have the receptors to recognise hot flavours so they can eat chilli flavoured peanuts with impunity!

Java sparrows

Once upon a time there was a man going round the town telling fortunes with the help of a Java sparrow, that lovely coloured bird. But in Europe the papers tell us that they prefer the octopus.

Taxi driver

One was spotted recently having only a left arm.

Seen

A banner announcing a “CAR SPA”

Gardens and Food

2010-07-10T05:06:00.000-07:00

Twilight Kids: Once in a Blue Moon
Painting by Tang Yeok Khang
(at the Penang Mutiara Gallery)

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(Continuing Rashid Maidin’ memoirs)

8 The spirit of merdeka

It was bitter-sweet work publishing a newspaper. We had to be thrifty. Luckily, the writers were progressives like us, filled with the spirit of merdeka. They worked with the spirit of struggle and did not expect to be rewarded.

To economise, we bought sheets of paper and did the cutting ourselves. After publication I had to go from bookshop to bookshop to sell the paper, and visited them again to collect the sales money. This job meant that sometimes I had to spend the night in a trade union office instead of renting a hotel room. We were well known to the trade unions who always gave us a warm welcome and a place for the night.

Our tough job brought forth a paper that had an important role as the official organ of the PKMM, arousing the spirit of merdeka among its readers. We were proud and happy that we had some part in giving loyal service to the cause of merdeka for our country.

After the disappearance of Mokhtarudin Lasso, Abdullah CD got completely involved with the work of PKMM. Not long after, he was elected to its leadership. This increased our work load. I was not officially a member of PKMM but I was invited to discussions on many questions. We put all our energies into building up PKMM, especially in the field of propaganda, to unite the Malays along a progressive path and helping coordination between PKM and PKMM.

One of our activities was helping the fight of the Indonesians against the Dutch who were, with the British, suppressing the Indonesian struggle. In Malaya there were Indonesian officers among the Dutch troops here and we tried to get them to be national conscious. There were some who were awakened to the cause of nationalism and refused to oppress their people. We set up an organisation to help the Indonesian revolution which was influenced by Hadi Nor and thus won sympathy for the Indonesia cause among people here.

During the period of peace, I spent all my energies on waking up the people to merdeka. Up to then, merdeka was the call of the left. UMNO, lef by Dto Onn Jaafar, not only rejected merdeka but opposed our movement. They said “You can’t even make a needle, and you want merdeka!”

My family, including my wife Hamidah, supported the struggle. Despite the hardship, she never complained and carried on beautifully with her work as the lady of the house

COMMENT

Botanic Gardens

The erection of those silly arches showed up the transcendental ignorance of the politicians of the true role of the Botanic Gardens. But the slack in the running of the civil service is the real cause of the fall in their real value. As long ago as the year 2005 the Star newspaper reported that Auditor-General had complained that there was no course for training of staff and of the administration not paying attention to botany horticultural and research studies and recommended setting up a research and training unit. It noted that the collection of trees and plants was unsatisfactory. The Gardens should, it said, maintain a complete and systematic inventory system to record growth of plans for research purposes.

FOOD GUIDE

Ah Boon, our food guide, thinks the poh piah at Northam Beach is better than at Song River which is a little too sweet and reports that a new bar koot mee stall (excellent) has come to sell at the same coffee shop as the third generation “Tiger” char koay tiau

Rashid Maidin PArt 7

2010-06-26T00:04:00.001-07:00

(continuation of The Penang File)

7 After the war against Japan

Just after the war, life was very tough for the people. What made it worse was that the Japanese currency was so much waste paper. But their spirits were high. The towkays and the rich donated rice and other things. We cooked rice in large pans and distributed it to those who without.

We made several demands on the British. If I remember correctly, they were: -

1. Pay ten dollars for the worthless Japanese currency.

2. Give work to those who are unemployed.

3. Give medical treatment to those who are sick.

4. Send food to Malaya at once for the people.

Once, when we had a mass meeting at the Ipoh padang, the British colonialists sent senior officials from KL to threaten the people. They scolded them with “We come without rice or food, but we have brought guns and canon.”

The end of the war also saw the occurrence of unhappy incidents in inter-racial relations, especially between the Chinese and the Malays, instigated by the Japanese fascists and the British colonialists. In many places, instigated by the British colonialists. Many parang panjang units were formed against the Chinese who retaliated. The result was bloodshed. In Tanjong Tualang too, there was a parang panjang group ready to fight. I had several talks with the Malays, especially workers, explaining the cause of the trouble and why they should not fight. Thanks to the determination of all sides, the tension eased. But in some places, there was bloodshed.

In 1945 Mokhtaruddin Lasso, Dr Burhanuddin Al-Helmy and others set up the Malay National Party of Malaya (PKMM). That was the time when Abdullah CD and I finished our job at the propaganda unit. We concentrated on Malay work especially on the PKMM. In Perak we published he Suara Rakyat as the official organ of he PKMM. When Mokhtarudin disappeared, we moved to Kuala Lumpur and with us went Suara Rakyat.

Because of the demands of work we had two places, one at KL called Rumah Merdeka, and the other at Setapak.. My wife and children lived in Setapak. As comrades in the struggle we were very close and attended meetings together. At time the crowds were enthusiastic There were rallies on average of ten a month, and we were invited to all.

Changing clothes became a familiar routine. Indeed if I went on a commission, Abdullah CD would watch over my family. When our money ran out, he would eat bread and water with us.

continuation

2010-06-24T00:41:00.000-07:00

The Penang File continues in a blog form