An Umno ‘ultra’ who told Malays not to vote on racial lines

 

VT Sambanthan said he had deep respect for Syed Jaafar Albar, according to a new book.

PETALING JAYA: 

One of the country’s independence leaders, VT Sambanthan, defended Syed Jaafar Albar of Umno who had been labelled as an “ultra racialist” in 1953 by the People’s Action Party of Singapore, a new book reveals.

The book says Sambanthan had related in Parliament about the time he was chosen to contest in a Malay majority area, and how Syed Jaafar went from village to village to tell the Malay voters that they should not cast their ballots along communal lines.

He said Syed Jaafar told the Malays that they needed to “think of the people as one” and that the community should “vote on non-racial lines” according to the book “Idealis: Syed Hamid Albar”, a biography of Syed Jaafar’s son, Syed Hamid Albar.

Syed Jaafar’s efforts subsequently led to the rural Malays coming out in thousands to vote for the Alliance party, according to Sambanthan, who is said to have regarded racial unity and harmony as core principles throughout his political career.

The book “Idealis: Syed Hamid Albar”, a biography of Syed Hamid Albar, is published by Ilham Books.

“If record of a man can speak for himself, that record, I think, is vivid enough to cast aside all these aspirations that have been thrown at the door of Tuan Syed Jaafar Albar. I have deep respect for him,” Sambanthan was quoted as saying.

Syed Jaafar, known as the “lion of Umno”, had been labelled an ultra, alongside Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The term, first used by Lee Kuan Yew, who would later become Singapore’s first prime minister, described Umno members seen to be holding radical views in defending the special privileges of the Malays and Islam.

Syed Jaafar fought to rectify injustice

The book said that it was inaccurate to paint Syed Jaafar, as well as other Malay leaders, as an ultra. Such labels were a political propaganda and strategy aimed at getting non-Malays to reject the likes of Syed Jaafar, wrote the authors, Noor Hasilah Ismail and Firdaus Zainal.

“In reality, Syed Jaafar fought to redress the inequity the Malay community endured by emphasising issues related to the economy and education without denying the rights of others,” they said.

Syed Jaafar’s son, Syed Hamid, served in the Cabinet from 1990-2009, holding the justice, defence, foreign affairs and home affairs portfolios. His biography is published by Ilham Books. It was launched by Dr Mahathir Mohamad and is available online as well as from Gerakbudaya and Ilham Books. - FMT