This year, we will be celebrating our 55th year of independence. We have come a long way since then, with bittersweet events filling the course of our history, in our bid to build a free nation after British colonization. Every year, we are brought back to those historical moments that led to the “Pemasyhuran Kemerdekaan,” the document that outlines the foundations for the birth of a sovereign and independent Federation of Malaya.

To this day, Malaysians still feel pride and emotion when hearing the recorded cries of “Merdeka” (independence) by our Bapa Kemerdekaan (Father of Independence), Tunku Abdul Rahman, on Aug 31, 1957.


A Need for It

However, not all share the excitement of celebrating Merdeka Day. So few are willing to fly the “Jalur Gemilang” outside their homes or offices, even when asked to do so. Some even go so far as to belittle the sacrifices of our freedom fighters who gave their lives for the country’s independence. There are also those who know little of the nation’s past. Therefore, the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry’s (KPKK) initiative to hold a colloquium on Malaysian History this Feb 25 is timely.

The one-day colloquium, which took place at Panggung Eksperimental, Universiti Malaya here, was themed, "Imbasan Sejarah Perjuangan Kemerdekaan” (Historical Reflections of the Struggle for Independence).

The discussion-based colloquium was aimed at correcting the misguided notion that members of the Malayan Communist Party were freedom fighters.


Some Easily Forget
   
Datuk Omar Hashim, the Executive Committee Chairman of the Malaysian History Society, sees KPKK’s effort as not only appropriate but necessary on a regular basis, even when there are no arising issues. He said that historical facts have become a blur to some people.

"So this is something that needs to be constantly reminded, especially for the youths who study this in school, but fail to delve into it," he told Bernama in an interview recently.


References

American philosopher George Santayana once wrote: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". We have also heard of the saying, “Learn from history”. For those who have forgotten or want to learn the summary of the nation’s history, they can do so by referring to history textbooks.

Omar suggested this, as he believes that the important events in the nation’s history have been recorded well in such books. For example, one of the panel of writers of the Form 5 history textbook by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka is the country’s renowned history expert, Prof Datuk Dr Ramlah Adam. The textbooks, among others, tell of the emergence and development of nationalism in Malaysia and Southeast Asia until the Second World War.

The study of nationalism in Malaysia elaborates on the reasons of the uprising against the British, and explains the roles of Malay organizations in encouraging awareness of nationalism.


A Long Struggle

The struggle against imperialist powers is not limited to those in political societies or parties. In fact, history shows that the rebellion against the British began on a small scale starting from the 19th century, whether in east or west Malaysia. Penghulu Dol Said (Datuk Naning), Datuk Maharaja Lela, Tok Janggut and Mat Kilau were among those bold enough to rise against the British in the peninsula.

Meanwhile, in Sabah, history recorded the bravery of Mat Salleh while in Sarawak, Ibanese leader Rentap and Syarif Masahor, who fought against the British.
   

Ulema

The initial stages of nationalist uprising in Malaya were started by the ulema (scholars) who studied in the Middle East, particularly in Egypt. Among these influential leaders was the renowned Egyptian jurist and ulema Sheikh Muhammad Abduh, who famously started the Islamic reformation movement.

"When ulemas such as Syed Sheikh Syed Ahmad Al-Hadi (known as Syed Sheikh Al-Hadi) and Sheikh Muhammad Tahir Jalaluddin (father of Tun Hamdan who was once the Yang Dipertua Negeri Pulau Pinang) returned to their homeland, they started a revolution for the Malays.

"This started in the early 20th century. They also started a newspaper and school in Penang," said Omar.

Syed Sheikh Al-Hadi founded Madrasah Al-Mashoor in 1919, published the magazine Al-Imam in 1906 and the magazine Al-Ikhwan, both written in Jawi. Sheikh Muhammad Tahir, meanwhile, was a famous astronomer and writer of the Malay Archipelago. The influential man was also a student of Hatta, Indonesia’s first vice president.

"The ulema groups successfully influenced the Malays to broaden their minds and encouraged them to think about Islamic reformation, freedom and the welfare of the people.

"It was exciting times, and they became a strong platform to further the interest of the nation," he added.
   
   
The Role of Teachers
   
Malay teachers during pre-Merdeka times were from the elite of society. They received their education from teaching institutions, among them those in Melaka and Tanjung Malim, Perak. Their fighting spirit was fuelled by lectures on history and heritage from icons such as Abdul Hadi Hassan (a history teacher) and Buyong Adil (he has immensely contributed in documenting the country’s history and is from Teluk Intan, Perak). The teachers also gained inspiration from the writings of Malay icons such as Zainal Abidin Ahmad, better known as Zaaba.

"When they returned to their homeland to teach, they became prolific writers for magazines such as “Majalah Guru," writing on topics of Malay heroism. Among them were Bakhtiar and Harun Amir Al-Rashid. They planted the seeds for the establishment of Malay organizations.

"In fact, the first Malay party, Kesatuan Melayu Muda, was formed by Tanjung Malim Teaching College graduate Ibrahim Yaakob," said Omar.

Teachers were also the most loyal supporters of the struggles of the United Malay National Organisation, Umno, formerly established on May 11, 1946, at the Istana Besar in Johor Bahru.


New Generation
   
At the time, other countries under Western imperialism were seeing the emergence of a new generation of English-educated leaders. That was also the case with Malaya. Names such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Ho Chi Minh and Sukarno are hailed as freedom fighters in their respective countries. Back home, Datuk Onn Jaafar (Father of Nasionalism) and Tunku Abdul Rahman (Father of Independence) are names commemorated by the people.

"There is no era greater and more glorious for the unity of Malays than when they fought against the Malayan Union under the leadership of Datuk Onn,” said Omar.

Besides those two, Omar also praised the roles played by other important figures and their supporters, such as Dr Burhanuddin al-Hilmi, Ishak Haji Muhammad (Pak Sako) and Ahmad Boestaman.
   

Remember Their Sacrifices

The events leading up to Malaysia’s independence – the negotiation led by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the agreement with Chinese and Indian associations, and the following successes – are a story already well known. Omar said Umno was the backbone of the movement to achieve independence, and the role of the Malays should not be left out of the country’s history.

"We should also remember the support of the Chinese and the Indians because their participation convinced the British that all races in Malaya supported the fight for independence.

"Hence, independence was returned to the sultans through political leaders and the king’s representatives," Omar explained.

He said certain quarters have been insinuating that the nation’s independence was achieved through easy means.

"It is true we did not have to fight a bloody fight to gain independence, as was the case with Indonesia and Vietnam.

"But perhaps they forget that our style of negotiation required a high degree of wisdom, because we were dealing with a cunning race (the English) who were well-versed in the fine art of diplomacy and negotiation," he added.

The leaders at the time also had to sacrifice their own money to fund the struggle, as Umno was penniless. Mothers pawned their jewelry to fund the cost of the negotiating group's trip to England to plead the case for the country’s independence. According to Omar, the Malay kings also gave up their states’ sovereignty to enter a larger federation called the Federation of the Malay States, which later became the foundation for the Malaysian Federation.

"The Malays also made a sacrifice when they accepted Jus Soli citizenship, which is the direct awarding of citizenship to millions of Chinese and Indian migrants in Malaya at the time.

"This was done to gain their support and their promise to recognize the position of the Malay kings, the special rights of the Malays, Islam and Malay language.

"These things were then recorded into the Federal Constitution and then adapted into the Malaysian Constitution," he explained.


Communist Movement

Omar also shared his view on the communist movement in the country, and the events involving the Emergency, which was announced in 1948. He said the first phase to eliminate the communist movement ended in 1960. However, the second phase was longer, as it involved a bigger rebellion at the borders of Siam (Thailand) and Sarawak. Although the country had achieved its independence at the time, communism remained a threat.

"So I don’t see how the communists can have the audacity to call themselves freedom fighters when they were plainly fighting against a people that had achieved independence.

"The communists, led by Chin Peng, didn’t acknowledge the freedom achieved by Malaya, and considered what we achieved in 1957 as a false independence," said Omar.

The party, he said, did not fight for freedom. Instead, it fought to establish a communist republic within Malaya, making them traitors to the country. The party was never dissolved after the 1989 Hatyai Agreement and many of its leaders chose to stay in a village in southern Thailand.

"We did not arrest and force Chin Peng and its other leaders to the War Tribunal as criminals, as is done in other countries.

"We gave them freedom to continue with life. This shows we are a compassionate and forgiving people, and the communists should be grateful for that," he added.


The Emergency Museum

As the issue keeps arising, Omar repeated his proposal for the government to set up an Emergency Museum. He said the museum can give an accurate depiction of the Emergency to avoid polemics and deviation from facts.

The development of new villages, the establishment of village security, methods of fighting off the communists, including guerilla tactics, can be among the items displayed at the museum, he suggested. Omar also proposed a memorial be built, displaying the names of those who lost their lives in the Emergency, such as police and Malay, British and Commonwealth soldiers.

"The museum would be an institution for those seeking reference on the Emergency. The younger generation can use it to learn the historical facts behind the communist insurgency, and our success in eradicating it," he said.


- Bernama