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A walk Down History Lane Before Merdeka - MALAYA: Circa 1948 - 1960

What the Emergency meant to Malayans then:

"Come out with your hands up!"
"Berenti! Siapa dalam sana!" ("Halt! who goes there?")

The Communist uprising: As I remember between the cobwebs of time.

(YAM Tunku Abdul Rahman declaring Malaya's Independence. Aug. 31st. 1957).

Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed, else like a flower cut from its life, giving roots, it will wither and die.

The Malayan Emergency.

The 12 years jungle war fought by the Malayan Security Forces, British, Australian, New Zealand army, British Commonwealth against the communists led by their leader Chin Peng.

 
Chin Peng. Leader of The Malayan Communist Party.

It started with the assassination of three British estate managers at Sungei Siput, Perak. This was later followed by the burning of rubber estates, sabotaging of installations, derailment of trains, burning of buses, generating civil unrest all over the country.

 
Actual picture taken from old military postings: Malayan communist soldiers

The CT (Communist Terrorist) soldier was well used to living in the jungle. Food and other supplies came from the jungle gardens of the fringe squatters and surrounding kampongs (villages).

 
Actual picture of a communist camp in deep jungle

He had jungle workshops to repair his weapons and equipment, jungle hospitals for first aid treatment, a network of agents and sympathizers in village, town and city, and a cowed rural population to coerce for food, money, information and sanctuary.

 
A burnt bus. The military checking out the area

His discipline, fieldcraft, navigation and minor tactics were good and his weapon handling adequate.

He relied on surprise in ‘hit and run’ tactics such as the ambush and, (initially) could be ruthlessly cruel in murdering, mutilating or kidnapping people of influence and their families, village headmen, teachers, local government officials.
 
This was the currency in use then

Most guerrillas were Chinese, though there were some Malays, Indonesians and Indians. (Chin Peng, now 80, his Malay wife, his comrades-in-arms Abdullah CD, Rashid Maidin are today living in Southern Thailand).

 
Rover car. Made in England.  Petrol would be from Standard Oil [later becoming Esso]

The Malayan Emergency. Communist uprising occured around circa 1940's...1950's when I was young. Going to Singapore during school holidays from KL to Singapore took 7 to 9 hours because of the many roadblocks, police checkpoints. The ferry across Muar river took 45 minutes. Ferry across Batu Pahat river 30 minutes, subject to river currents. If after a heavy rain add another half hour.

 
Muar river ferry, 1955

The wooden ferry was actually a barge pulled by a motorboat tied alongside and could carry about 5 cars and a lorry on each trip across. There were no bridges then. Most times, the ferry landing ramp will not come down on reaching other side of river, so the men passengers will have to jump up and down on the ramp to bring it down so the cars can disembark. I had fun jumping but my weight then did not help any.

All the way there will be police or military checkpoints manned by local police or Gurkhas, or British, Fijian or Australian soldiers

Areas or regions with the most communist activities were known as 'black areas'. Negeri Sembilan, Segamat, Yong peng, Johore, whole of Pahang, Perak

Road to Kluang. 1950. With Police checkpoint

Those areas deem safe were 'white areas'. Perak, Pahang and parts of Selangor were 'black'. New villages were constructed as well curfew was imposed.

Rural villages being moved to new villages

New villages

No food was allowed to be carried in your cars, or bicycles for fear the communists will get it. Rubber tappers on bicycles will be frisked. They were only allowed to carry enough for their lunch.

Food rations being given out to new villages

Malayan police station. 1950's

On one occasion going to Singapore, we had to turn back halfway because of communist activities. There was a communist ambush near Yong Peng where a bus was burnt.

Picture shows actual communists bandits as they were also known then. Taken from old military archives

Johore Bahru customs checkpoint. 1950s

Another similar incident was near Tanjong Bidara, Malacca when we happened on the scene of a bus burning, the passengers were safe waiting for the police or military to arrive

Malaya food ration card for those living in re-settlement black areas

The communists had by then disappeared into the jungle. We turned back. Curfews were quite common at various small towns in 'black' areas. Thus any trip anywhere had its uncertainties of arrival. Unlike children of today the moment leaving for anywhere asking, "what time we arriving"? Those days was, "will we be arriving"?

Cooking then was with firewood, or charcoal. We would get ours delivered by bullock cart. A rolled up lighted newspaper would be used to start the fire. If I did not disappear fast enough, I had to 'volunteer' to help get the fire going by blowing air thru a short, hollow bamboo pipe. Needless to say, we sometimes had ash decorating our food receiving enquiring stares from my mother.

I remember one incident, three days before Chinese New year, the Indian man arriving with his load of firewood (from felled rubber trees) and while he busy unloading the firewood carrying into our kitchen storeroom, I wanted to see how cows behave when firecrackers explode underneath them.

In those days firecrackers were the size of cigars and one can imagine the sound it makes!

Traffic was stopped, people waiting for buses ran for their lives.

Some cyclists fell into a drain as all first time witnessing a driverless bullock cart with two cows stampeding down the road helter skelter, with the Indian man running behind after them. One hand holding his sarong, other hand gestulating frantically, cursing and swearing at his cow's ancestors. While cyclists scrambling out of the drains swearing at him and his ancestors.

Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, Circular Road. - Jalan Pekeliling

I had learnt cows don't appreciate firecrackers exploding underneath them, and can jump very high like in a cowboy rodeo as well outrun a car. It was fortunate no one had seen my experiment, as my mother was quite handy with our house status symbol, the rattan cane. The Indian fellow did however mentioned on his next delivery of firewood his cows produced less milk than usual.

Chinese New Year Firecrackers

Very often while I was still sleeping in the morning, there would be loud screams downstairs, chairs being overturned, pots and pans falling on the floor and my mother or the maid standing on the kitchen table yelling my name. A snake had decide to appear between the firewood while they about to start the fire to boil water, or a 6 inch centipede, or a scorpion.

 
Kitchen in those days

I could by then differentiate the kinds of screams. The loudest andlongest one would be if their fingers had encountered a mice nest. It was not uncommon to hear similar screams from our neighbours too, as mice seems to love making homes in old, dried firewood.

1949. Malaya wins the Thomas cup.  The 1949 Thomas Cup winning squad (from left): Chan Kon Leong, Yeoh  Teck Chye, Teoh Seng Khoon, Ooi Teik Hock, Lim Chuan Geok (non-playing  captain), Wong Peng Soon, Law Teik Hock, Lim Kee Fong and Ong Poh Lim. Malaya Bt. USA 6-3, semi final. Malaya beat Denmark 8-1 in the finals to win Malaya's 1st Thomas cup.

I had by now come to learn my mother could jump on a table without the aid of a chair.  Not an easy feat when wearing a sarong. Telling my mother to wait while I wash my face, brush my teeth would not be an option. She and the maid holding up their sarongs while standing on the table looked like table top striptease dancers in cabarets. Laughing was not advisable. Of course the neighbours would later hear of my prowess at getting rid of snakes, centipedes or mice.

The Indian firewood seller would on his next delivery receive a ten minute lecture from my mother, of how her first born had risked his life in tones befitting a sergeant major in the army to save her and the maid. And he would in turn would swear and promise that we can pee on his grave after he dies of old age if any more snakes appears.

Old days fast food - Can be quite tricky squatting and holding a steaming hot 10 cents bowl of noodles.

Of course on and off my mother and the maid kept improving their table top jumping skills. The Indian man mastering his apology skills and we promising to visit his grave few times when he dies of old age.

It was during this period when the communists were very active with train derailments, burning of buses, ambushes on isolated police stations, and the murder of British, American as well local estate owners.

They lived in the jungles, though some did hide out in 'new villages', or towns. All villages on the west coast was now fenced with security personel on armed duty ensuring no food was smuggled out or stolen by them

The government was going on a strict, 'starve them out' policy. My grandfather, an estate manager and planter owned a similar Ford car. However, his car was armoured, with a steel plate protecting the front screen with two small slots for the driver to navigate and an armed escort to look for any problems when on the road. There were steel plates covering all the windows, needless to say the car could only achieve 30 mph max because of the weight.

Lonely estate road

You can imagine the heat in the car when travelling anywhere. No travel was done anytime after 4pm either due to a curfew being imposed in nearby towns or for fear of a communist ambush

Communist camp in jungle

Quite often if travelling to town to get food supplies it would be in a small, well armed convoy of 'SC's, (Special constables), and military personel in their armoured vehicles.

Jerantut, Pahang, Malaya. 1950's. There was no bridge then. Instead a ferry. Picture shows a military patrol waiting to cross

We would during school holidays be invited to his estate somewhere in Central Pahang, especially during rambutan or durian seasons and staying at his huge, rambling, colonial style brick and wooden bungalow.

The bungalow and surrounding other estate homes are isolated and to reach the nearest neighbour, another estate owner, one has to travel many miles down a small narrow estate road with rubber trees in straight rows on either side, two miles off the main road, as well passing through virgin jungle.

Rubber estate road

The jungle

An 8 feet high fence, with a barb wire perimeter fence running along both sides circled the approximate 10 acres of my grandfather's bungalow and Coolie Lines. There would be hundreds of empty cigarette tins, milk cans filled with small pebbles hung on the fence at regular intervals.

They rattle when touched, or when fence is shaken. Thus any disturbance or encounter with the fence would attract the many armed SC's on duty around the entire barricaded complex.

Special Constable's (SC), bunker

There were sentry posts, well armed SC's with their Bren guns or Sten guns in bunkers constructed from coconut or rubber tree trunks at the four corners. As well some located at where the estate workers lived. In between there were powerful spotlights at nights, their bright beams directed at the surrounding rubber trees and nearby jungle. Armed SC's would patrol the perimeter regularly, day and night to ensure the fence had not been tampered with or broached.

Gun bunker

The double story bungalow we stayed had sandbags at every window, upstairs and downstairs. And the thick Chengai (hard wood) wooden windows had slots to look thru as well aim a gun should there be a terrorist attack. My cousins and I were given very strict rules never to play near the windows and where to take cover should there be an attack.

A Communist Terrorist

Even though we were in our very early teens, all of us were taught to handle the guns located in locked cabinets, from .45 calibre automatic pistols, shotguns to sub-machine guns and had fun when practicing at a nearby shooting range.

Colt .45 Automatic pistol. Hit anything at 25 yards, it's habis cerita, or game over

Should the sentries raise the alarm at night, by banging on a big tin drum, all the lights in the house would be switched off. We had all undergone training practices where to take cover in the darkness, and to only talk in whispers.

Bren light machine gun

A Tommy gun. Shoots up to 50 bullets. This gun doesn't take prisoners. Anything within 30 yards will be minced meat

Once a week a British or Australian army patrol would pay us a courtesy visit and we kids getting lovely chocolates, army biscuits. The SC's tins of Woodbine cigarettes. We would also offer them drinks and fruits of the season, but they declined our offer of durians when in season.



 
British soldiers on patrol

Orang putehs (Caucasian soldiers) never acquired the taste for durians, they not too keen on the scent especially, "like eating a banana in a bloody latrine", they would exclaim.

British army patrol

Once a day, sometimes at nights at different times, there would be a phone call from a police station twenty miles away testing, ensuring our phone line was not cut and everything was alright.

An estate house

A coded word would be used to identify either party as the communists were known to make phone calls to unwitting estates prior an attack. Should the call from the police station not receive a reply, an armed police or military patrol would be despatched immediately to the estate.

Daytimes, I would be playing football or badminton with my cousins and friends from the homes nearby, or playing in a nearby stream. Or looking for spiders to fight, always under the watchful eyes of sentries, that we do not stray near the perimeter fence.

Sometimes a plane would fly overhead, its several attached loudspeakers blaring out above asking the communists to surrender, same time dropping thousands of leaflets.

Government Leaflet Translation: 'ATTENTION. ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT MESSAGE. Since the federation of Malaya achieved independence on 31 August 1957, in the first seven months, 215 MCP (Malayan communist) PERSONNEL HAVE COME OUT TO ACCEPT THE MERDEKA OFFER This number includes high ranking personnel who hold posts like Border Committee Secretary, Regional Committee member, etc. Even these high ranking personnel have realized that the Merdeka Offer is a good offer to accept. THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE FEDERATION, TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN, IN A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON 27 MARCH HAD THE FOLLOWING WORDS TO SAY TO ALL MCP (Malayan Communist Party) PERSONNEL: 215 of your comrades have already accepted the Merdeka Offer which is the largest number for any similar period since the emergency began. This merdeka offer is still open, and is being extended until 31 July. I know there are many more of you who want to come out. If any of you were thinking of holding out in the mistaken idea that operations against you will be relaxed after my target date of 31 August 1958 I give you this warning. THERE WILL BE NO RELAXATION WHATEVER AFTER THAT DATE'.

 
Dakota planes of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) used for dropping food supplies or government leaflets asking the communists to surrender.

The wind would sometimes blow them towards where our bungalow was, and we would pick them up...and as toilet paper was not in vogue yet, it became very useful, the right size too. Thus everytime we hear a plane flying nearby we hoped for the wind to blow our direction.

A jungle terrorist camp

I was also unanimously appointed chief chicken catcher and executioner, at 11 years old the oldest among the cousins. This when my two grandmothers, (grandfather had two wives) mother and several aunties, uncles decide to have chicken curry for lunch or dinner. I would select a couple of prospective chickens, all big Rhode Island chickens, my cousins and friends slowly encircling one, I then pounce on it. Then the next one.

Rhode Island chicken

Apart from being an expert chicken catcher, I was also entrusted with their decapitating, though not without some hilarious moments when one decides to seek freedom, flying all over the kitchen minus it's head if my aim was not good enough.

Chicken curry

Imagine the confusion in the kitchen with 9 kids, aunties, two grandmothers, my mother all yelling out advice to catch it. Or running away while I stalked the headless chicken, not to mention a couple of sentries rushing over with guns to check out the commotion.

During rambutan season my cousins and I would hide under the nearby rambutan trees with our catapaults early evening, after informing the sentries and shoot the many flying foxes eating the fruits.

And having the experience of earning money from cutting newspapers, I would sell the two or three flying foxes I shot down to the Indian tappers who cook curry with them for 10 cents each. My mother thrilled to learn the apple of her eye having good business acumen at a young age.

Flying fox

The outdoor latrine is situated about 30 yards behind the house. And if nature calls at nights, we have to call out to the nearby sentry post we making our way to it. It was just a fifteen feet deep hole in the ground. The spotlights would be switched on as soon as its twilight, as darkness comes early in jungles and estates, and sentries on duty would be on high alert starring into the darkness beyond the trees. Some spotlights would be manually operated and the sentry would move the lights all around his section of the perimeter fencing While another sentry will keep an eye open for any unusual movements in the dark jungle outside.

 
Outdoor latrine

One night I had an uncomfortable tummy and ran to the latrine forgetting to call out to the nearby sentry on duty. He, I guess was relaxing and smoking looking in another direction. In the darkness of the fairly large, brick latrine before I could turn on the light switch I knocked over an empty pail someone had carelessly left near the door. It sure made loud clanging sounds rolling around.

A 1950s sub-machine sten gun

Just as I switched on the light, there was loud clicking of guns being cocked and a very loud, "BERHENTI! SIAPA DALAM SANA"? (HALT! WHO GOES THERE"! I immediately yelled out my name and what I was doing. Again, the loud threatening voice boomed out, "KELUAR! ANGKAT TANGAN TINGGI"! (Come out with your hands above your head!)

My urgent downloading had to be postponed.

One hand holding on to my unbuttoned shorts, one hand over my head I stepped out smiling sheepishly knowing it was my fault not calling out earlier.

 
Leaflets dropped by planes into known Communist areas offering them a safe conduct to surrender to the Malayan authorities

There were four sentries aiming their guns at the doorway as I stepped out. They burst out laughing at seeing me trying to hold up my shorts, one hand on my head. Glad they had a sense of humour, at my expense. But not my father, finishing my business and back in the house was given a finger in my face lecture about my forgetfulness, and not accepting my explanation it was an urgent call. Its funny how mothers will accept a son's explanation, but not fathers.

Gurkha soldiers searching for bandits or communist terrorists

Jungle night sounds can be intimidating to those not familiar. Cicadas with their shrill mating calls, night jars giving out their haunting cries, owls softly hooting away, faraway monkeys or gibbons calling out to each other.

The sentries listening for any unusual or unfamiliar sounds

Outside the perimeter fence, the SC's had laid lots of old dried branches and twigs thus anyone stepping on one would cause a loud crackling sound. Sometimes the noisy night sounds would suddenly all stop and there would be an errie silence. The sentries would immediately point their spotlights all over checking to see anything suspicious, suspecting most probably a python or king cobra snake out hunting for food.

Wild animal caught in spotlight foraging for food

At night my uncle or one of the sentries would let loose the 6 half breed guard dogs from their respective kennels, the house's first warning should the dogs start barking at anything moving along the perimeter. The dogs were fed only in the morning and lunch time, nothing at nights so they wouldn't go to sleep. Quite often we would hear bombs being dropped from planes on suspected terrorists camps somewhere far away beyond the hills, or planes flying low overhead dropping pamplets in three languages asking the communists to come out and surrender.

Lincoln Bomber flying over Malayan jungle dropping bombs, or supplies to army outposts

One night around 2am all of us got woken up in a hurry when the sentries sounded the alarm by banging on an empty oil drum.

Without waiting for instructions all of us rushed into a room which had sandbags all around and told to keep quiet while the men, my grandfather, my father, uncles all in their pyjamas would grab their shotguns, pistols and carbines and quickly positioned themselves at their previously arranged barricaded windows. Nobody talked but used hand signs.

Communist attack from ambush point. (Actual pic)

They seeing a bright orange glow in the sky some miles away, some sounds of gunfire.....a neighbouring estate was being attacked, some rubber trees being burnt. Everyone was tensed, guns at the ready and all of us kids, women were told to lie down on the floor and keep very still. Nobody made a sound.

A forest fire far away

The communists were known to attack two estates simultaneously same night. The dogs were barking like crazy. The SC's were all at their posts, machine guns cocked and ready. My uncle would stand by the phone, first checking to see if the line had been cut. Then should there be an attack, he would immediately inform the police twenty miles away. Nobody slept that night. Dawn soon arrived, the first rays of sunlight coming thru the small window slots, but still terrorists were known to attack at first light. So nobody left their posts till the all clear was sounded, three loud, long blast from a shrill police whistle.

A burning rubber estate

Everyone wondered whose estate it was and whether anyone was killed? The SC sergeant now instructing the men to be on full alert and doubling the perimeter sentry duties to two men now. All of us were told to play near the house. My father reminding me to call out to the sentry when going to the latrine.  An only son does have health benefits.

Malayan security forces on patrol

It was a week later, rain had been falling incessantly since afternoon and by nightfall it came down in torrents. Frogs were croaking everywhere, a heavy mist had come up and visiblity outside was down to less than 20 feet. The rain coming down mercilessly beating a tattoo on the roof. We had all gone to sleep around 10 pm under our individual mosquito nets. A mosquito repellant lighted coil placed near the window.

It was about 1am, when without warning loud gunfire somewhere near the house startled all of us from our sleep. There were loud shouts, yelling from the SC's, "COMMUNIST DATANG,...COMMUNIST DATANG, COMMUNIST ATTACK!" The dogs barking like crazy now. More gunshots going off as my grandfather and all the men grabbed their guns rushing to the windows, we kids and the women were asked to crawl towards the sandbagged room and lie down.

A misty day similar to the one described below

 

I heard an uncle saying our estate was being attacked. We were by now trembling with fear from the loud explosions of several machine guns going off next to the house. It sounded like coming from near the latrine. Upstairs nobody knew whether the communists had cut the fence, and now about to enter the house as all the yelling and gun shots sounded just next to the house. There were loud shouts of, "SANA, SANA! TEPI PAGAR!!....TEMBAK!...TEMBAK"! (There! There! Next to the fence. Shoot! Shoot!) Then more gunshots, the deafening stacatto of the several Bren guns going off drowned out everything else. Several more SC's from nearby bunkers rushed over as reinforcements, all taking cover behind sandbags or lying on the ground.

The spotlights could hardly penetrate thru the heavy mist as more shots were fired. We could hear inspite of the rain the tin cans strung along the fence was clanging away, obviously the communist now trying to scale the fence. But my grandfather and my uncles held back their fire for fear of shooting at the SC's below. More loud yelling from the SC's downstairs, "SANA..SANA! TEMBAK,..ADA ORANG SANA! TEPI PAGAR! CHEPAT TEMBAK..."! (There...shoot...shoot! Somebody at the fence"!) The loud gunfire continued for several more minutes when we heard loud shouts of, "BERHENTI TEMBAK, BERHENTI TEMBAK!....HOLD YOUR FIRE!....HOLD YOUR FIRE". The silence now deafening. The smell of cordite, gunpowder strong in the air.

SC or Special constable on guard duty

My grandfather and the men all rushed downstairs, guns cocked at the ready to investigate. There were SC's everywhere now, some pointing to where they were shooting at, their Sten guns guns ready to shoot. Everyone in the house thought the communists had cut thru the barbed wire and we were all going to be killed and the house burned down. A few of us crawled to the windows and peeped thru the window slots. We could see the SC's lying prone on the wet grass, guns aimed at the fence all soaking wet from the rain now coming down in torrents. The heavy mist engulfing them like ghostly figures.

We could all now hear loud squealings, grunts and screams, the tin cans rattling along the fence. Everyone thought some communists had been shot. We saw the sergeant slowly crawling towards the fence, then still aiming his Sten gun at the fence yelled out, "BUKAN COMMUNISTS, BUKAN COMMUNISTS!...BABI HUTAN, BABI HUTAN". (Not communists, wild pigs"!)

Wild pigs

Later we learned some wild pigs had tried to get thru the fencing to get at the tapioca, sweet potato and sugar cane plants nearby. Their favourite food. Three of them, all about 40 kilos somehow got tangled up in the perimeter barb wire and struggling to get loose causing the tin cans to rattle. And in the darkness, heavy rain, with the mist obscuring the spotlight's beam, the wild pigs dark brown or black colour was easily mistaken for terrorists.

Altogether seven were shot, four fatally, three lying wounded and squealing loudly. The sergeant then shot them dead. There were a lot of red faces among them that night and muted laughter. Apparently when the sentry on duty hearing the tins clanging had shouted his, "BERHENTI, SIAPA JALAN SANA, HALT! WHO GOES THERE"? And after two warnings not getting a reply, he seeing dark shadows trying to break thru the fencing immediately opened fire followed by other SC's in their bunkers. Everyone was still on edge after the previous week's attack on the neighbouring estate. You can guess what the menu was for the next few days among the Chinese and Indian tapper familes, including ours.

Tapioca plants

My grandmother felt sad when her vegetable garden was dug up and all replanted nearer to her flower garden beside the house. The above two incidents as well my latrine adventure was the highlight of my stay then.

Tunku Abdul Rahman, PM of Malaya 31 August, 1957. Declaring Malaya's Independence

It was on 31st July 1960 when the emergency was finally declared over. The country was declared 'white'.

Malaya had achieved its Independence in 1957.