Profs' council: Leftists not freedom fighters
The National Professor’s Council (MPN) today joined the debate on the controversial Bukit Kepong incident by asserting that leftist movements did not fight for the country’s independence.
The National Professor’s Council (MPN) today joined the debate on the controversial Bukit Kepong incident by asserting that leftist movements did not fight for the country’s independence.
Instead, the council said that the movement, which included the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), are “traitors” as they had allegedly wanted to form a republic and to unseat Malay rulers.
“CPM was formed in 1930 in Singapore with the intention of establishing the Democratic People’s Republic of Malaya, which is linked with communist China...
“These communists’ goal was not to liberate Malaya from British rule, which had recognised the role of the Malay rulers, but to establish a communist country,” historian Zainal Kling told reporters in Putrajaya today.
He added that “all Malay nationalists” had also “joined forces, cooperated and abetted with communist fighters” to establish a republic.
“It is because of this that we cannot accept their struggle as (the communists) wanted to wrest power in a manner which was not legitimate,” he said.
The Sultan Idris Teaching University (Upsi) don had said this after a meeting on the issue of colonisation and freedom fighters, following the controversy over the Bukit Kepong police station incident in 1950.
The issue was sparked by PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu who in a speech reportedly said that Mat Indera, who was part of the insurgency against the police station, is the real hero.
Additionally, the MPN’s press statement distributed at the press conference noted that the leftist movement is not part of the struggle for independence as its intention was for Malaya to join Indonesia to form Indonesia Raya.
Malaya not ‘colonised’, just ‘protected’
MPN said that the communists had initially fought the Japanese invaders in the Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army as they felt “angry and humiliated” by the Japanese invasion of China from 1937 to 1945.
“They never fought for Malaya’s liberation nor to uphold the Malay states’ sovereignty,” the statement read.
The council added that CPM had continued its struggle even after the nation was granted independence in 1957.
Interestingly, Zainal also stressed that Malaya had in fact “never been colonised” and was only a “protectorate” of the British.
He shared that no document since the Pangkor Treaty 1874 states that the state will be colonised, rather it will be protected.
“Being a protectorate is not the same as being colonised... Only three states were colonised - Singapore, Malacca and Penang... Stop saying (Malaya) was colonised for 400 years. That is a big mistake,” he said.
He added that Malaya was only actually colonised for two years as the Malayan Union from early 1946 to the end of 1947, as well as under the Japanese occupation.
Additionally, the MPN in its statement said that while Malaya was never colonised “the British administration was a form of colonialism”.
“The British were given the powers to ‘administer’ in the areas of governance and finance, as well as exploiting natural resources.
“Historians researching the history of colonial Britain label this ‘colonialistic’ behaviour as a ‘breach of trust’ and ‘indirect rule’,” it said.
The MPN added that while the British governed Malaya, the nation remained sovereign under its Malay rulers.
Mat Sabu has a right to different view
Also at the meeting was MPN chairperson Zakri Abdul Hamid, who said that the council will conduct a special workshop to revisit key historical events in Malaysia, including the Bukit Kepong insurgency.
The workshop is to be held at Upsi next month.
Zakri added that the role of MPN is to gather historians in an effort to correct incorrect interpretations of historical facts of Malaysian history.
Commenting on the PAS deputy president, popularly known as Mat Sabu’s statement, Zakri said the former has the right to voice his opinion as we live in a democratic country.
“Whatever the views are, be it correct or not, MPN will contribute (in this discourse) on an academic level,” he said.
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