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Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 41 No. 21. August 28 1978

Malaysia. 21 years Since "Independence"

page 15

Malaysia. 21 years Since "Independence"

Photo of two soldiers

Troops at the main entrance of the University of Malaya.

Introduction

Every August 31st Malaysian embassies throughout the world throw open their doors to host an extravagant National day celebration. This will be the 13th anniversary of the formation of Malaysia and the 21st anniversary of 'independence' granted by her British colonizer. Many Malaysian student organisations in New Zealand and other overseas countries follow suit in glamourizing the occasion, egged on by the Malaysian authorities. Such a display of jingoism, oblivious of its political implications is a sad reflection of apathy. It is time to awake from such blind ignorance, to question and expose these elements harbouring reactionary political motives behind the guise of celebration come loyalty to the nation.

Part 1 of this article is a brief historical account leading to the making of Malaysia. That making was thinly disguised conspiracy and collaboration between the local aristocrats and the British colonialist to suppress the strong anti-colonial and anti-feudal forces of the people of North Kalimantan and Malaya (including Singapore). The second part (to be printed next week) of the article examines what 21 years of 'Merdeka' of 'independence' has brought to the peoples of Malaysia.

Part 1: Historical Back—Ground

When the fascist Japanese invaded Malaya during the Second World War, the British colonialist fled, tail between its legs. But immediately after the war, this shameless opportunist came back. However the fire of independence was already kindled in the people's war against the Japan ese aggressor. Our people's aspirations for national independence was so high and organisationally the anti-colonial movement was so strong that in 1948, the British had to resort to outright military rule to suppress the people's movement. This was the beginning of the so-called Emergency Period which was to last till 1957.

British atrocity during the Emergency

The stain of brutality and uncountable heinous crimes committed by the British Colonialist during those 10 years will never be washed away from the history of Malaya. However despite military rule, our people fought on with dignity. Two young Indians, Gunapathy and Veerasamy, Chairman and Vice-chairman of the Pan Malayan Federation of Trade Unions, were leaders of the anti-colonial working class movement. Gunapathy was murdered in cold blood while Veerasamy was hanged by the British for allegedly possessing an illegal weapon. (The death sentence for possessing a weapon was reintroduced in 1976 under the Essential regulations, which resulted in a 14 year boy and many others being charged.)

On a wider scale, even innocent poverty striken rural folk were not to be spared. In Pusing, 1,000 peasants were fined a total of $40,000 in January 1951 for refusing to give information regarding the execution of a British planter.

We must not forget that the people who suffered also included members of the armed forces who were conned and coerced to lay down their lives for the British Colonialist. Usman Awang, a well known poet and writer joined the Malayan police at the young age of 18. Later he was to realise his dilemma: for he was hunting down his own people who were fighting for independence.

His brief service with the police force also served as the basis for his later literary works in which he describes the senselessness of the war, and the plight of a policeman. "Voice from the Grave" was one of his satirical poems, exposing the hypocrisy of the Government. The authorites were indifferent to their conditions and safety and the agony suffered by their families, but upon their death would bestow them as 'National Heroes'.

Voice from the Grave

Mother,
weep your old tears
from an older poverty
I see they offer wreaths
and lengthy condolances
most impressive
over our bloody death

Father,
no more will you receive the few dollars
I wrung each month from a wretched pittance
(my pay; cost of a suit for a minister)
and my promise of a new attap for the hut -
forgive me, father - will never be fulfilled

My wife,
your grief shall not last long
I hear they are collecting donations
why such kindness after we are dead
in life did they ever ask
about our crowded rooms, our month's pay

Dear children,
your school uniforms are torn
you will have to patch them again
and who will buy your books this year?
Like your father,
just dream, dream my children
if you still possess dreams:
That you will study at the University

ii
They talk a lot about my death
they grieve and get donations
but they could never spare a piece of land
no land for us
except for burial
(even this, one day they shall think
how much better to build a factory on it)

They who never noticed us
today wrinkle up their faces in sorrow
They who never asked about us
now write and deliver speeches
and call us heroes

Dear friend, you and I have died
for a prosperity not ours
so the tuans can sleep and dream deep
so each estate can gather its rubber
so each mine can pile up its tin
so each bank can count its profits at leisure
so each industry can survey its profits in peace
(for everything not ours for these we die)

Parliament meets with royal speeches
Rural progress - Prosperity for the people
and schemes for raising taxes
of the brilliant finance minister.

Our death is talked of for a while
then with the gift of a cheque -
payment for my life - forgotten by all
except my mother, father, wife
and beloved children who shall suffer
all their lives

Today, 30 years later, curfews and emergencies are still being imposed in various areas of the country. Military operations in the jungle continue to increase in number and with them the proportion of innocent lives taken. The Government still pays "homage to the Martyr".

Independence of Malaya 1957

In 1957, the Malay Peninsula was granted 'independence' by her colonial master. With independence came a new system in politics: 'Parliamentry Democracy'. A group of compradore-bureaucrats were elected to be overseers of the neo-colony.

What has independence brought to the people of Malaysia? The following poem by Usman Awang was written after 'independence'. The picture of rural poverty and hope was painted in the poem. Today, 21 years later, the poem reflects like a mirror the scene we still see in the countryside, despite the superficial prosperity we are meant to believe in.

Father Utih

He has one wife - he will embrace her till he dies-
Five children who want to eat every day
An old hut where an inherited tale is hanging,
A piece of barren land to cultivate.

The skin of his hands is taut and calloused
Accustomed to any amount of sweat
O Father Utih, the meritorious peasant
But malaria comes hunting,
Even though he offers a million prayers

And Mother Utih calls the village medicine man
For magic formulas, curses repeatedly chanted
The Medicine man with his rewards goes home
With money and a pullet tied together

In towns the leaden keep shouting
Of elections and the people's freedom,
Of thousand-fold prosperity in a sovereign state,
A golden bridge of prosperity into the world hereafter,
When victory brightly shines
The leaders in cars move forward, then chests thrown out.
O. the beloved subjects wave their hands.

Everywhere there are banquets and festivities
Delicious roast chicken is set before them,
Chicken from the village were prosperity was promised.
Father Utih still waits in prayer
Where are the leaders going in their limousines?

Anti-Colonial Movements in the Region after World War 2

Brunei

In 1956, the Nationalist Party Ra'ayat was formed by Azahari under the strong influence of the anti-colonial Dutch movement in Indonesia. With backing from the people it immediately launched into a constitutional struggle. Britain was forced to announce the first constitution and the first General Election. In the 1962 August election, Party Ra'ayat won all 55 seats with opposition to the formation of Malaysia as a major part of its manifesto. The British summarily banned the party and arrested its leaders. Azahari retaliated with with a spontaneous armed uprising, but it was brutally suppressed and turned into a bloody massacre by the far stronger British forces.

Sarawak

The Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) was formed in 1959 and was strongly backed by the anti-colonial independence movement. The people's opposition to the 'Malaysia' concept was unanimously shown in the hundreds of rallies and demonstrations that were held despite propaganda and rigged referenda (like the Cob-bold Commission and the UN assessment). SUPP leaders were thrwon into jail and the farcical commission declared the people were in favour of the plan, under the coercion of British armed forces at its door step!

Singapore

The People's Action Party (PAP) was formed in 1954 to lead the anti-colonial movement. It had enjoyed the support of a wide section of the population, left-wing trade unions and the students to win the election of 1959. Unfortunately, the opportunist lackey Lee Kuan Yew (disguised as a nationalistic lawyer) had managed to worm his way into the party.

Collaborating with the colonial government he ursurped power by having the party leaders arrested. By the end of 1961 when the issue of the Malaysia Plan came to a head there was a major split in PAP and Barisan Socialist was formed to oppose the merger with Malaysia.

PAP had to call a new election by 1963, and with only a one seat majority in Parliament, Lee Kuan Yew knew he had no chance against the Barisan Socialist. So on February 2 1963, Lee Kuan Yew threw 131 of his leading opponents into jail. It is 16 years since the infamous operation 'Cold Store', and some of his opponenets are still languishing in the torture chambers.

Lee Kuan Yews anxiety to join Malaysia and to retain, his power can be seen by the many concessions and the unfair terms Singapore made to enter Malaysia. The 'marriage of convenience' was to last less than two years, enought time for Lee Kuan Yew to establish and entrench a police state.

Indonesia

Indonesia was at that time [unclear: leading] the anti-imperialist movement in South Asia through its expulsion of the Dutch Colonialist. Many neighbouring countries were following suit in the struggle. The British and Americans were anxious to isolate Indonesia and keep the independence movements from spreading.

United Kingdom

Britain was losing its influence over her vast empire in the far East for several reasons:
1.The destruction of her economy during the Second World War.
2.The strong independence movements in her colonies.
3.Rising US imperialism and its infiltration into the Asian markets.
4.The increasing pro-US tendency of her puppet regimes in these countries. Because of the changing situation Britain was forced into adopting a new strategy, moving from direct control to neo-colonialism, the Malaysia Plan was part of this strategy.
1.Maintain her political, economic and military interest in the region.
2.Pool all her right wing lackeys to control the people's independence movements [unclear: in these regions]
3.[unclear: imperialist movement nesia. Also by incorporating North] Kalimantan into Malaysia, Britain could avoid a direct confrontation with Indonesia over the claim of the North Kalimantan states.
4.Let the strong racist government of the Malay Peninsula control and oversee the other states.
5.Check the pro-US tendency of her puppet regimes.

Hence, against the wishes of the majority of the people in these regions, a neo-colony 'Malaysia' was declared on August 31 1963.