Patriot roadshow to 'strip' Mat Sabu bare

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin today announced plans to organise a ceramah roadshow to counter the “insults” by PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu over the latter's alleged praise of communist insurgents in the 1950 Bukit Kepong incident.

Calling the roadshow 'Pentas Patriot', Khairy broadcast on popular micro-blog site Twitter that the ceramah series will involve historians, descendants of those killed in the bloody siege and multimedia shows of the atrocities of Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) “terrorists”.

“Umno Youth will organise the 'Pentas Patriot' roadshow ceramah series with ex-commandos/soldiers/police to oppose the Mat Sabu's insults,” he said in one of his tweets.

Mat Sabu, as the PAS deputy president is more popularly known, came under heavy fire earlier this week after two Malay dailies - particularly Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia - ran reports claiming that he had portrayed communist insurgents in the Bukit Kepong siege as heroes.

Utusan quoted video excerpts of Mat Sabu's Aug 21 speech in Tasek Gelugor, Penang, posted on a pro-Umno blog, where he allegedly said that the police officers in the siege were working for the British while the insurgents were fighting for independence.

However, Mat Sabu hasthreatened to sue Utusan over the series of articles it ran attacking his speech, claiming that the newspaper had “put a spin on the article and exaggerated it” to make him and PAS look bad.

Khairy to invite celebrated ranger

In a series of tweets, Khairy said he also intends to “personally invite” PW1 (retired) Temenggong Kanang Langkau to speak at the roadshow, though the date and location of the ceramah stops will be announced at a later date.

Kanang (right), a celebrated Malaysian Ranger, stands as one of few living heroes for his role in a daring assault on a communist hideout in Tanah Hitam, Perak, in 1980.

He is best known for immortalising the Iban war cry, 'Agi Idup, Agi Ngelaban', which means 'As long as I live, I will fight', during the attack.

“We will strip Sabu bare with historical fact,” Khairy said in another tweet.

The Bukit Kepong incident has been frequently used as a symbol of Malay nationalism and bravery in the struggle against a communist insurgency that started before Malaya claimed independence from British rule.

The incident - seven years before independence - saw insurgents surrounding and laying siege to the Bukit Kepong police station, leaving 25 people dead, including 14 police officers and some of their family members, including several of their wives who took up arms in the attack.