Pie in the face for Muhyiddin: 'Traitor' Mat Indera was his father's student

As many pundits have forecast, the Mat Indera-Bukit Kepong episode is U-turning with a vengeance and set to explode right smack in the centre of the top UMNO leadership, draining its last dregs of credibility with Malaysians and the Malay community as well.

For no apparent reason, UMNO newspaper Utusan had suddenly pounced on Mat Sabu over a speech he made on August 21 just as the nation was about to celebrate the long stretch of Hari Raya holidays together. They accused him of being a Communist lover and condemned him for praising Mat Indera, whom they accused of being a traitor.

Only the British said Mat Indera was a traitor

Stunned the nation kept quiet, although with 3 million members, it was not difficult for UMNO to rouse of some its members, especially the less educated, into scolding and lodging police reports against Mat Sabu, the newly-elected deputy PAS president.

After a long losing streak, UMNO thought it had finally found "reprieve" in the latest hornet's nest it stirred up, but it looks to be another dud - just like the malicious allegations it has levelled against the DAP over the Christian state prime minister and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim over the sodomy charges and Datuk T sex video scandal.

"It is one lie too many for even the UMNO members to stomach. I don't think any one wants to see their party go in this misdirection," PAS MP for Kuala Krai Hatta Ramli told Malaysia Chronicle.

Indeed, historian after historian has since come out to put the picture in perspective.

No one can say Mat Indera was a traitor, is the consensus view. Only the British, who executed him, considered him a traitor for opposing them. But Mat Indera along with others in the Putera-Amcja coalition were the first - even before UMNO - to seriously fight the British for independence for Malaya.

At the same time, few historians deny tha the pre-Independence nationalist was also implicated in the deaths of police officers and civilians following an attack on the Bukit Kepong police station during the communist insurgency in 1950.

Wanted to marry Muhyiddin's sister

Now, the latest expose' from Johore PAS has stunned the nation and community.

In his Facebook page, Johor PAS Youth chief Suhaizat Kaiat revealed that Mat Indera was a former student of the father of Muhyiddin Yassin, the UMNO deputy president and DPM, who has been among the most vocal critics of Mat Indera and Mat Sabu.

Not only that, but Mat Indera who died a bachelor had wanted to marry Muhyiddin's elder sister.

“Mat Indera wanted to marry the sister of DPM Muhyiddin Yassin, but Mat Indera's father was not agreeable to it,” said Suhaizat, after a meeting with Johan Shah, the brother of Mat Indera.

“It was the British who accused Mat Indera of being a communist,” said Suhaizan further. Mat Indera was eventually captured and executed by the colonial authorities.

People feared the British then

According to Malaysiakini, Mat Sabu and Johor PAS commissioner Dr Mahfodz Mohamed were also present at the meeting with Johan. In his August 21 speech, Sabu had described Mat Indera as the real hero in the Bukit Kepong incident, and not the Malay police officers as they were serving to enforce the laws and administration of the British colonial government.

Suhaizan also said he was told that Johan, his father, stepmother and grandfather were tortured by the British colonialists before being banished to Singapore between 1950 to 1954.

“People were afraid of the British”, said Suhaizan, which is why nobody defended Mat Indera when the latter was prosecuted by the British.

Johor UMNO to counter on Wednesday

Among the other facts that Suhaizan said were related by Johan were:

Mat Indera was the second eldest child of eight children. His mother died when Johan - the youngest - was two years old.

The British offered a 25,000-dollar reward for Mat Indera's capture before the Bukit Kepong incident. After the incident, the reward was raised to 75,000 dollars.

Mat Indera arrived at the site of Bukit Kepong during the last moments of the incident, and was not involved in the attack on the police station.

Mat Indera saved the life of one police officer by the name of Yusof Rono.

Mat Indera was appointed by the then-Johor government as a religious studies teacher. He was issued a uniform and official songkok. He had studied under a renowned religious scholar by the name of Tuan Guru Fadil.

Mat Indera was hanged to death at Kampung Jambu Air in Taiping in the year 1953, and was buried separately from the other graves in the cemetary.

Mat Indera never married.

Meanwhile, Johor PAS Youth has said it will hold a press conference on Wednesday together with Johan at the party's HQ in Kuala Lumpur.

- Malaysia Chronicle