Batu Pahat will never forget Bintang Tiga

The speech by Mat Sabu to claim Communist as independent fighter and accusing UMNO as British shows his ignorance of history.

It could be Mat Sabu's attempt to divert attention to stem the political and public pressure from the Muslim population on the Pakatan Rakyat government of Selangor on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church caught in the act of proselytising Muslims to Christianity.

However, his political rally at Padang Menora, Tasek Glugor, Seberang Prai on August 21st, 2011 will not go down well with the people of my hometown of Baru Pahat, Johor.

No effort by the former 10th Regiment of the Communist party of Malaya, still living in exile at border of Thai-Malaya border, attempt to spin history of Kiyai Salleh and Dato Onn Jaafar will convince the people of Batu Pahat that the Communist Party of Malaya masquerding as Malayan Party Anti Japanese Army (MPAJA) or notoriously known as Bintang Tiga were independent fighters.

The Bintang Tiga were dominated by Chinese who were not citizens of Malaya until the agreement to jus soli arrangement of citizenship pror to independence on August 31st 1957 but were population of Malaya as British subject. Thus, how could they be described as independent fighters?

The atrocities they committed during their "14 day rule" in the interim period between the surrender of the Japanese army on August 16th 194 and the return of the British colonial administration, particularly to the folks of Batu Pahat and Muar proves that they were no independent fighter but another cruel foreign invader.

Mat Sabu delivered his political rally together with Batu Pahat born Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng. His father, Lim Kit Siang hailed from the area of Lim Poon, Batu Pahat where many of his family members still reside and are former members of Bintang Tiga.

So, when DAP is called communist by certain segments of the Malays, it is not without it's reasons. Furthermore, DAP pursues a socialist ideology, just like PAP of old. However, former Communist activist not only infitrate DAP, but also other Chinese based party like SUPP, MCA, SAPP, and others.

Despite being dominated Chinese, there are Malay members in the communist Bintang Tiga. They were Malay ultra nationalist who were more driven by their anti-British stance than being attracted by communist ideology at the initial stage. Malays, like Kiyai Salleh who later lead the Malays against Bintang Tiga colonials in Batu Pahat and Muar, were forced to join the Bintang Tiga.

The Bintang Tiga atrocities were driven by their hatred for the Japanese as they took revenge on former Jookidam, or Malays who were members of Japanese Police. Former Jokidam were taken to the edge of jungle and forced to dig holes and were buried alive in these holes.

During the Bintang Tiga "14-day rule" rule, they instituted exorbitant tax, and rob their harvest. There were widespread indiscriminate killing, rape and violence on the women and men. People's Court established were dispensing unjust sentences.

Muslims were forbidden from group prayers and Islamic practices and rituals were ridiculed by the Godless communist.

In Zaharah Nawawi's account of the period in her book on the brave exploits of Kiyai Salleh, entitled Panglima Salleh Selempang Merah, she described an eerie feeling of kampung folks entering the Bandar Penggaram.


There were description of Malay kampung folks being captured and boiled alive in the premise current Chinese Chamber of Commerce building of Batu Pahat to scare off Malays from coming to the Bintang Tiga-infested town.

With knowledge of the personality and operation of Bintang Tiga, Kiyai Salleh lead the unarmed Malays against the wellhttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=19741162 equipped Bintang Tiga. Armed with only parang panjang and ayat empat (read also here), the tentera parang panjang grew in numbers as Kiyai Salleh set out to free Parit Sulong, Semerah, Kangkar Senanga, and as far as Bakri, Muar.

If not held back by Dato Onn Jaafar, who was the then District Officer of Batu Pahat, at the Penambang, Kiyai Salleh and kampung folks of Bagan, he would have massacred the remain of Bintang Tiga hiding in Bandar Penggaram. This event was written by Zaharah Jawawi and told to this blogger by General (Retired) Jaafar Onn who was there to witness the event.

On that day, May 10, 1946, Dato Onn promised Kiyai Salleh that he would rerturn power back to the Malay. That could be the event that sparked the desire to struggle for Independence by Dato Onn by initially launching UMNO. UMNO started in Batu Pahat as UMO at the padang Batu Pahat. (Read about the event on blog Kuda Kepang)

The hidden strength of Kiyai Salleh lies in his late wife, Makcik Esah (who is a member of this blogger's mother's Yaasin readng group) who has the uncanny ability to determine the place and time to launch attacks.

Kiyai Salleh, Makcik Esah and others together with them has died but Alhamdulillah, their spirit of Selempang Merah seems to be very much alive.

For Mat Sabu to claim CPM as freedom fighter and accuse of the UMNO of being pro-British to side against the Communist, it is not only incorrect but shows he and PAS's pursuit for power has no limit and destructive.

To correct his deteriorating memory, UMNO was not yet formed during the Bintang Tiga's reign of terror. It was the majority Malay's decision to side with the "lesser of the two evils" between the two colonial powers.


In case he forget and it seemed regularly forget details of events he is present - he words at ceramah and the event of his accident at Bersih 2.0 - , the Bintang Tiga was formed with help from the British to train them at a Special Training School 101 in Singapore.

Even the Communist Party of Malaya was formed with the help of a Vietnamese who is a double agent for the British, Lai Tek.

Another important historical point for Mat Sabu to recall is that PAS was also formed with help of the British to be a permanent divisive element against Malay Unity and be constantly at odd with UMNO, as the conglomeration of Malay associations and political party including the Parti Kebangsaan Melayu (MNP).

- Another Brick in the Wall