Getting the facts right on Japanese Occupation, communists

 

From Ranjit Singh Malhi

I refer to Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki’s accusation that the current Form 4 history textbook glorifies the communists as independence fighters.

His accusation is baseless, erroneous and done in bad faith to falsely implicate Pakatan Harapan, which has nothing to do at all with the content and writing of the history textbook.

Let’s get the historical facts right. First, it is a fact that the Japanese administration pursued a “pro-Malay” policy of appointing more Malays than non-Malays in government service, including the police. Most of the members of the police force during the Japanese Occupation of Malaya (1942-45) were Malays. Additionally, as stated by historian Cheah Boon Kheng, the Japanese specially trained Malay officers at a Malay police officers’ training school in Singapore. By February 1944, over 1,800 recruits had graduated. Interestingly, the Japanese also established a Malay women’s auxiliary corps in late 1944.

Second, the Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) numbering about 7,000 soldiers was indeed the biggest armed resistance movement against Japanese rule in Malaya. It should be noted that the British authorities collaborated with the MPAJA in resisting Japanese rule in Malaya, including providing military training, arms and medical supplies.

Third, it is also true that the use of a predominantly Malay police force by the Japanese against the MPAJA, which comprised mainly Chinese guerillas, subsequently led to racial conflict. In the words of Zainal Abidin Abdul Wahid, a leading Malaysian historian, “the use of the largely Malay police force by the Japanese against the Chinese dominated MPAJA introduced a racial element of Sino-Malay rivalry”.

Fourth, it is a fact that the communist insurrection speeded up the independence of Malaya. In the words of Tunku Abdul Rahman, “Baling led straight to Merdeka” .

Finally, it must be highlighted that Lim Bo Seng, who is merely stated as being a Kuomintang guerilla in the Form Four history textbook (page 75), was truly a heroic Malayan freedom fighter. Indeed, there is a road named after him in Ipoh. Lim was a leading member of Force 136, a clandestine military unit which was established by the British authorities to gather intelligence and conduct operations behind enemy lines in Malaya during the Japanese Occupation. He established an intelligence network in Perak. Lim was captured by the Japanese Kempeitai in March 1944 and died in Batu Gajah jail on June 29, 1944.

Ranjit Singh Malhi is a historian and FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.