The Emergency: Museum On The Real Heroes And Traitors

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - "Establish a museum on the Emergency as part of the efforts to commemorate the fight and victory of the people against the communists insurrection."

"The move would also be a tribute to the nation‘s warriors and the unsung heroes like the soldiers, police and special constables, members of the Home Guards as well as the British, Gurkha and Commonwealth troops."

Datuk Omar Mohd Hashim, the executive chairman for the Malaysian History Association (PSM), made this call during an exclusive interview with Bernama in PSM‘s office at Jalan Tun Razak, here, recently.

On why the PSM made the call, Omar said the nation needed to have an everlasting remembrance on a major event that had left indelible imprints on the nation‘s history.

Living Institution

The museum would serve as a ‘living institution‘ that dispels any attempt to either twist or distort facts on the real causes behind the communists‘ recalcitrance.

Omar said the museum would shed the light for the younger generations to know who are the real heroes and traitors in Malaysia‘s quest for independence.

He said even though many of those who had fought the communist terrorists had died, there are others who are still alive.

Those who are alive could relate their experience on the struggle against the communists and their experience can be documented as well as recorded and stored in the Emergency Museum.

"The war against the communists is imperative and should be a lesson on the enemy within. The experience of those who battled the insurgents is important in the nation‘s history should be documented and kept.

"If they are no more around (alive), their experience is prove enough of the communists viciousness and brutality," he said.

Emergency

Omar said the Emergency was an important segment of the country‘s history. He said the nation took about 41 years from 1948 to 1989 to subdue the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) terrorists under the leadership of its secretary-general Chin Peng.

The communist guerillas, dubbed by the locals as ‘Bintang Tiga‘, due to the three stars imprinted on their peak caps, went on a rampage during the two weeks after the Japanese surrender in the Second World War and before the return of the British troops.

The British colonial government declared the Emergency on June 16, 1948 after communist terrorists murdered three European planters in Sungei Siput.

This period of turbulence ended on July 31, 1960 when the Malayan government declared that the episode was over. The strife had a heavy toll on life and money.

Despite the defeat in 1960, the communists under Chin Peng continued to wage their revolt from 1967 until the 1989. This period was known as the Communist Insurgency.

"The Emergency had cost the government between RM130 million and RM150 million a year. I remembered during my days in the Penang Free School, the teacher told us that the war against the communists cost the Malayan government RM1.0 million a day," said Omar.

He said Malaysians should be proud over the country‘s success in battling the communists.

"This was the first time that an independent country had managed to defeat the communists. Malaysians should not stop short of only being proud, they also should not take lightly the sacrifices made by people who stopped the communists from ruling the country.

"The people should be aware that the danger lurks anytime particularly when we get too relaxed and view casually on the country‘s security situation.

"Thus, PSM fully supported the government‘s decision not to allow the return of Chin Pen."

Omar said allowing Chin Peng to return home would mean giving him honour and recognition apart from paying scant regards on those who fought against the CPM terrorists.

Terrorists, Traitors

Voicing his frustration and disappointment on the issue concerning Chin Peng‘s return to Malaysia that had recently resurfaced, Omar said the PSM had made its stand on the issue since it first came to light in 2003.

Omar cited two reasons on why the issue resurfaced.

First, the new generation that capitalised on the government‘s open policy and had tried to seek another way to pave the way for Chin Peng‘s return.

Second, there are parties that are out to ‘fish in troubled waters‘.

"It is also due to those who have lack of knowledge on the history of our countand never experienced the brutality of the communists," he said.

For Omar, Chin Peng should not be allowed to set foot in Malaysia and instead, the former CPM secretary-general should be on trial as a war criminal.

Stressing that Chin Peng is a terrorist and traitor to the country, Omar said the CPM led by Chin Peng had created much threat and bloodshed to the country and people.

He said when the Japanese surrendered in August 1945 and before the return of the British military, the CPM had kidnapped many Malays who they accused as Japanese informers and collaborators.

The victims were tortured and killed. Many had simply vanished, never to return.

He said the communist guerillas had also murdered many European planters and estate managers, damaging and destroying public properties, prompting the British colonial government to declare the Emergency (1948-1960).

To protect the people, the British had moved many who stayed in the remote areas to new settlements named as ‘new villages‘. These settlements were fenced up and guarded by the police and army.

Omar said during the years of Emergency, Chin Peng led his band of 8,000 communist terrorists against almost 25,000 Malay and British soldiers as well as troops from the Commonwealth countries.

That figure did not include the more than 50,000 policemen, special constables and members of the Home Guard.

"After the Emergency (first phase) ended in 1970, it was estimated that 6,700 communist terrorists were killed while on the government side, 1,865 members of security forces and some 3,000 civilians died.

"These are the official tally, the figure could be higher but we will never know," he said.

Distortion Of History

Omar also commented on Chin Peng‘s memoirs that claimed the CPM guerillas were actually radical nationalist fighters that fought against the British imperialists and British colonisation.

"This is a big and blatant lie. He tried to twist facts and conceal the facts about the cruelty, brutality and sins that they had committed.

"Since 1930, CPM had planned to establish a Communist Republic in the Malay States with outside help. A republic means there are no Malay rulers and no special rights for the Malays. Communists are anti-Islam," he said.

The deception placed by the communists, can be refuted, as some veterans of the Emergency are still alive. Despite being old, they can still recall events in this episode.

"What happens when they (veterans) have gone, the truth may become blurred and finally may disappear. Finally the newer generations would accept the fabrication as the truth.

"Now it can be seen that there is a gradual shift on the perception against the communist terrorists and era of Emergency due to the distant time and events.

"This will be more significant among the young generations who do not experience the dangers posed by the communists during the Emergency, apart from merely reading the narration in school textbooks," he said.

Omar said the CPM struggle failed as it did not receive the support of the Malays. As Muslims, the Malays viewed the communists as being against Islam.

"If the communists had gained the support of the Malays then, definitely the country‘s history had a different course," he said.

Not Nationalists

Omar said Chin Peng and his cronies were not nationalists, instead they were traitors to the country as they had carried an armed struggle against the government that was elected by the people.

If they were truly nationalists, then they would have accepted the amnesty offered by the government without any conditions, at the Baling Talks in 1955.

"Chin Peng rejected the (amnesty) offer outright despite knowing that Malaya was on the verge of achieving independence and should have admitted that the communist struggle was futile," said Omar.

Omar also referred to the Haadyai Peace Accord signed on Dec 2, 1989 between the governments of Malaysia and Thailand as well as the CPM that effectively ended the communists armed struggle in Malaysia.

"The accord is a wise move. The communists, despite being defeated were not punished outright like that usually suffered by those who lost in an armed conflict.

"Malaysians did not demand vendetta or continued tracking and hunting down (the communists) like what happened against the leaders of the Nazi, Japan and Khmer Rouge who were hauled to war crimes tribunal.

"Instead, Chin Peng and other CPM leaders continued to stay at the Thai side near the Malaysian border. The Haadyai Peace Accord in 1989 was a major concession and the CPM should be thankful. Asking for more is too much and this disregarded the goodwill extended by the Malaysian government," he said.

He said despite signing the Haadyai Peace Accord and willing to lay down their arms, the communists actually did not surrender.

Danger Still There

Omar reminded Malaysians that the communist threat is still in existence despite their struggle had been defeated.

"The communists (threat) will never be eliminated. Like in the paddy fields, there are various fish like (haruan, catfish) and eels. If there is no water, the fish will bury itself in the mud but when the water is there, they will burrow out.

"We have studied how the communists behaved worldwide. It is the same. They would discreetly infiltrate any organisations as well as cultural and music associations. When they are strong, they would take over the organisations and expand their wings.

"I am sure there is an effort to revive the communist ideology as the ideology will not be allowed to simply fade and die," he said.

He also referred to the rise of the rule of socialism, a branch of communism, in South Africa.

Omar said once a person is a Marxist communist, then he would be forever a Marxist communist.

He said history had shown that there were ‘dead‘ communists who returned to infiltrate and intruded when there were weakness, negligence and opportunity.

"Do not let history repeat itself. I call for a stop on the issue of Chin Peng‘s return to Malaysia. It should be treated as a closed book.

"Instead, we should be moving forward and focus on how to deal with various problems developing and bringing progress to the country," he said. Melati Mohd Ariff

Source: http://www.bernama.com (2 June 2009)
Photo: http://www.psywar.org

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