Never forget non-Malays’ role in fight for independence, says Ayob

 The former deputy inspector-general of police says Chinese policemen were instrumental in containing the communist threat.

Former deputy inspector-general of police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said many Chinese police officers sacrificed their lives by infiltrating communist groups to obtain intelligence during the Malayan Emergency.

PETALING JAYA:

The role that non-Malays played in the fight for independence must never go unrecognised, says former deputy inspector-general of police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.

He said non-Malay men in blue were especially pivotal in the effort to contain the communist insurgency during the 12-year Malayan Emergency from 1948. Malaya gained independence from Britain in August 1957.

“Many Chinese (police) officers sacrificed their lives by infiltrating communist cells to obtain intelligence,” he told FMT.

“We have to recognise the contributions of other races (apart from Malays) in achieving independence,” he added.

Ayob said there was a need to appreciate and respect the contributions of the non-Malay community.

He knows better than most what people of different backgrounds can do to further a common cause. Having served in several senior roles, including as director of Bukit Aman’s counter-terrorism division before being appointed deputy IGP, Ayob has seen it first-hand.

“I had Chinese and Indian Christians in my counter-terrorism division. And (despite their racial and religious differences) they never harboured any prejudices,” he said.

However, he lamented that the sense of togetherness has waned, particularly among young Malaysians.

Children, he said, are increasingly being segregated along different education streams from kindergarten through university, making it harder for the country’s plural society to grow up together.

“When we were young, Chinese, Indians and Malays were together. Now, from kindergarten to primary school, secondary school and university, they are separated.”

He said such trends could result in a society becoming more divided along racial lines, adding that if left to fester, the country would face “many problems”.

However, Ayob, who retired recently after 35 years in the police force, said Malaysia has remained largely peaceful despite its multiracial and multi-religious population, with conflicts occurring only sporadically.

But he said such peace should not be taken for granted.

“We have to defend and preserve the independence and peace we have, bridge the gaps between races and religions, and ensure that we continue moving forward together,” he added. - FMT