The Chinese-majority groupthink that smears ordinary Malays possessing a long memory of the Emergency as being “supremacist” is mind-boggling to say the least. To impugn the Dapsters as simply clueless is too kind an understatement. They’re really mindless lemmings dashing to the edge of the cliff.
Such herd mentality – as below – which alleges “Even dead communists are not spared Ketuanan Melayu” with regard to the narrative on Chin Peng’s ashes is not only far off mark but reflects a wilful ignorance that prefers to shut out any other perspective than their own narrow point of view.
Chinese always could never understand amuk Melayu
Excerpts from the book Red Star over Malaya written historian Dr Cheah Boon Kheng about the spiral of revenge killings:
“The most bitter Malay experience with regard to the Chinese was the humiliation, degradation and physical torture which the MPAJU/MPAJA [communists] was said to have inflicted upon them. As one Malay described it — ‘The psychological fermentation of mistrust, anger and frustration of the Malays stemming from insults, scorn and arrogance thrown upon them, had to reach its saturation at a point in time.” (Red Star, p.196-7)
“The MPAJA was said to have butchered, gunned downed, or beheaded Malays and administered the ‘water treatment’ — pumping water into the victim’s body until the belly swelled, immersion in a tub of water until drowned, or scalding with hot water. MPAJA/Chinese ‘revenge’ killings were said to have taken their toll of Malay officials — DO [district officer], ketua kampung, penghulu, and policemen.” (Red Star, p.212)
“Batu Pahat again witnessed terrible bloodshed during this interregnum,” wrote Dr Cheah (Red Star, p.225).
“The Malay attacks were said to be more ferocious than those of the Chinese … They fought more determinedly and with greater religious fanaticism”, continued Dr Cheah in his book. “For the second time in the racial clashes, Chinese and the MPAJA could neither stop them nor understand the drive behind them”.
Communists in Malaya had briefly taken control of parts of the country following the surrender of the Japanese occupiers, and before the return of British troops to the peninsula in 1945. In a brief period of lawlessness dubbed the ‘interregnum’, the communists emerged from their jungle hideout to wreak vengeance on the civilian population, Malay and Chinese alike, who had earlier refused to support or collaborate with them.
BLOODY FLASH POINTS:
- 1945/6: Batu Pahat, Johor
Mass killings in Parit Gumong, Parit Kecil dan Parit Kali (link)
. - Nov 1945: Kuala Pilah, Negri Sembilan
Malays attack and kill 40 Chinese (link)
. - Dec 1945: Teluk Anson, Perak
Chinese attack and kill 4 Malays, injure 14 (link)
. - Feb 1946: Batu Malim, Raub, Pahang
Malays attack and kill 30 Chinese, injure 16 (link)
. - March 1946: Bekor, Kuala Kangsar, Perak
Chinese attack and kill 56 Malays (link)
Below are 10 bullet points abstracted from a credible write-up by Rahmat Omar about the communist (threat) era that peaked in the 1940s when Chinese inhabitants were at a parity with the Malays. This also explains why the locals felt besieged, fearing they were fast becoming a minority in their own land.
Pengganas komunis: ‘Ganas’ means savage
Writing in his blog ‘Seademon’, Rahmat provides us the following historical details about the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) terrorists and their savagery:
- “Throngs of Imams, religious teachers, Malays who had worked in Japanese offices, and commoners were captured and executed [by the Bintang Tiga in Aug-Sept 1945].”
. - “Many Malay houses were burnt at night while their occupants were fast asleep.”
. - “The violation of the sanctity of Islam also became a factor in the bloody Sino-Malay conflict (WO 172/9773. No.30: 478) when the Bintang Tiga/CPM disrupted religious activities in Muslims places of worship.” [Note: ‘WO’ refers to War Office Records]
. - “Muslims were forbidden from congregating at mosques or suraus to perform the Terawih prayers (Hairi Abdullah, 1974/5: 8-9). The same occurred in Perak and some parts of Batu Pahat where Muslims were gunned down and burnt together with the mosque they were in during Friday prayers.”
. - “[People] were murdered for not supporting the CPM.”
. - “Kiai Salleh [having formed the Tentera Sabil Selendang Merah] waged war against the Chinese, the MPAJA and their Malay counterparts.”
. - “Many Malays had their hands and feet bound and put into gunny sacks before they were thrown into the sea alive.”
. - “di Bekor [daerah Kuala Kangsar] ada telaga yang dipanggil telaga lubang raya tempat memancung orang yang tak mahu masuk kominis” — eyewitness account
. - “6th March 1946: 57 men and women who were about to leave the Kampung Bekor mosque after Subuh prayer were murdered by the Chinese (WO 172/9773, No.19: 234-235). From this figure, only one had gunshot wounds while the rest had slash and stab wounds. 24 children were murdered while they were sleeping in their homes, while 15 men, seven women and eight children were missing.”
. - “More Malays were attacked and killed by the Chinese in Kota Bharu (Kelantan) on 19th September 1945, in Alor Gajah (Melaka) on 26th September 1945, in Selangor, the districts of Selama, Taiping, Parit, and Sitiawan in Perak, and in Terengganu. In Batu Malim, Raub (Pahang), a skirmish at the local market on 11th February 1946 involving 200 Malays and 150 Chinese caused the death of 30 Chinese including 10 children, while 16 Chinese and 10 Malays were injured.”
The 2 Dec 2013 blog entry posted by Rahmat can be read in full under the headline ‘Bekor: Prelude to 13th May’.
Helen Ang 
Helen, Thanks for bringing the ugly truth to the fore.