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MT COLUMNS The struggle for Merdeka: what the Malaysian history books do not tell us (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)

The struggle for Merdeka: what the Malaysian history books do not tell us (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)


Tuesday, 31 August 2010 Super Admin
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Yesterday, I wrote an article called Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!regarding the Selangor Royal Family’s opposition to British colonial rule. Today, I want to publish chapter 34 of the book ‘Malay Nationalism Before Umno: The Memoirs of Mustapha Hussain’ to show that Umno was not involved in the early moves to gain Merdeka for Malaya. 

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Some of you may not want to read the entire chapter of eight pages (I know Malaysians malas membaca). So allow me to summarise the main points of this chapter.

1. The fight for Merdeka in 1946 was not spearheaded by Umno (as the Malaysian history books claim). It was spearheaded by the All-Malayan Council of Joint Action (AMCJA). The AMCJA was a leftist group (what Umno would call Communist).

2. This was the second attempt to gain Merdeka. The first was in 1945 during the Japanese occupation of Malaya. In fact, Japan had already agreed to Merdeka, which was supposed to have been declared on 17 August 1945. However, Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945 (just two days before Merdeka) after the bombing of Hiroshima followed by Nagakasi. If the Americans had delayed the bombing just a few weeks, Malaya would have seen Merdeka on 15 August 1945 instead of 31 August 1957.

3. The 1945 and 1946 moves to gain Merdeka was made by a multi-racial group amongst who were nationalists, religionists and communists. It was not an all-Malay group. And Umno was certainly not in the group. Umno did not talk about Merdeka until about 10 years later.

So that is story of the struggle for Merdeka and don’t let Umno tell you otherwise. And take special note that all the races, not just the Malays, participated in the fight for Merdeka.

Of course, at that time, the British would not consider Merdeka because then Malaya would have become a socialist state (with a Constitutional Monarchy). Instead, the British arrested those calling for Merdeka. The British then promoted and backed Umno, a party of British-trained Malays, to ensure that post-Merdeka Malaya would remain pro-British.

 

 

Translated into Chinese at: http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/34207-the-struggle-for-merdeka-what-the-malaysian-history-books-do-not-tell-us

 


Comments (25)Add Comment
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written by justice seeker, September 02, 2010 09:23:10
Yesterday, I wrote an article called ‘Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!’ regarding the Selangor Royal Family’s opposition to British colonial rule. Today, I want to publish chapter 34 of the book ‘Malay Nationalism Before Umno: The Memoirs of Mustapha Hussain’ to show that Umno was not involved in the early moves to gain Merdeka for Malaya.

BUT IF THE GREAT MAMAK HAS HIS WAY, HE WILL REWRITE HISTORY INCLUDING HIS ORIGINS.
...
written by red1, September 02, 2010 07:43:53
This is a lesson in realism. It took an Umno finally to gain independence from the British. It took World War II for the Japanese that slaughtered the Chinese to almost gave us independence but they did shatter the sense of infallibility of the British rule and even gave the larger concept of Asia Raya.

What can give us the actual formula of success? Not idealism. Realism.
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written by Rozlan, September 01, 2010 16:00:18
Mustapha Hussein and Burhanuddin Helmi were representing PKMM in the AMCJA-PUTERA meeting.There are several leftist malay based party such as API, PETA etc there. Where UMNO.UMNO at that time not even had a constitution to start with.It was just a coalition of right wing malay societies who served the British.Claim that it start it struggle in 1946 was bullshit.The British had shaped up UMNO to be its successor if things getting hotter.True enough struggles for independences by leftist malay parties gaining momentum.Speeches organizes by them are well received by the public.British arrested many of the them and eventually most of their leaders had been arrested and the parties banned.Element from the leftist parties had nowhere to go.The only malay party left was UMNO.They need a vehicle to ocntinue the struggle.Many had joined UMNO and pressure UMNO leadership to asked for independence.

You see guys.without the elements from the leftist parties,UMNO was not interested with independence.Why should they if they could live comfortably under the British rule.The foundation of independence wre done by these leftist parties .UMNO just "pluck the fruits of other labors"...
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written by red1, September 01, 2010 14:37:19
agree with @michael.. RPK should spearhead the Sejarah Sebenar Tanah Air Kita. Our real history is robbed of us. Imagine just 2 days more in 1945 we would have shouted MERDEKAAARRe! with a japanese accent.
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written by Logger123, September 01, 2010 10:26:31
Thank you RPK for presenting the true history of our nation.

By the way, most westerners, Koreans and Japanese do generalise and refer to all Malaysians as Malays. So even though that clause by PUTERA did not make it to the Constitution, but the world knows what and who we as a nation are and that is we are all at heart Malays. (and not just a constitutional Malay like the Mamaks).

All people in Thailand are Thais, whether Ethnic Chinese or Indian. Assimilation works. Pity it could not work out in Malaysia.

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written by Pegasus, September 01, 2010 09:12:21
UMNO distorted the true facts of independence to suit their whims!
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written by michael, September 01, 2010 09:11:52
I may have said this before. I hope one day soon, RPK will be put in charge of rewritten Malaysian history. We have such a rich historical culture but much have been muted and corrupted for political expediencies by UMNO. Our current and future generations deserves better.

Cheers!
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written by hunkeyboy, September 01, 2010 01:29:27
thivy was afraid of being "drowned by the chinese". according to the account chinese rep tan cheng lock "didn't say a word".
so did both thivy and tan get it all so wrong????
...
written by Fart Fart Wah, September 01, 2010 00:39:13
Thankyou RPK for putting history as in its true HISTORY not UMNOstory.

UMNO BRUWAHS 1984 changed everything from the classroom segregation of our children to kafirs and non kafirs to what it is today. Hak Moolayu. If in America there were blacks like Malcom X and Martin Luther King fighting for non-segregation here UMNO was busy building segregation clandestinely behind closed doors. All this bullshit about toodung ( making the women wear too dung ..until their brains were also closed till it became too dungy until we have headmistresses showing their true color or a dungy head) If segregation and apartheid were shouted at ; here the SEWER HAND MAMAK he used a term called affirmative action ( another rhetoric) to segregate the so called umnoputeras and the others. It is basically segregation and apartheid adopted subtly not published and not put in black and white but practised openly with all top positions taken by the UMMNOputras (whether they can do the work or not) in the civil service , GLC's , police army , navy , education, the government planning unit. NO TOP POSITION IS HELD by any other race AT ANY OF THESE PLACES. for so says UMNO they are not bumiputeras and they are Kafirs and non kafirs cannot work under a kafir...Amen.
And so we come to the truth today that our country is in the doldrums not because we do not have talents or people to run the country well but we have politicians in UMNO put there out destroy the country with their arrogance and zero knowledge in many things other than bankrupting the country by plundering it. Lee Kuan Yew must be having the last laugh everyday and that is why he is living so long and competing with the Mamak to see who is right and who is wrong. It is very obvious that LKY has achieved much more in the small island than in Malaysia which has a 1000 times more resources and human capital to run this country anytime better than Singapore.
THE SEWER HAND MAMAK has FAILED and like a drowning old dog he is clutching to a straw that he feels will save him..Hak Melayu ( which he has been using to screw the Malays off their 30% and our resources and oil money) That sewer hand of his has dirtied all the areas where he was involved..right up to dirtying the judiciary until even an honest man like you RPK cannot seem to have true justice served anymore in the Malaysian courts.
And the history books all have been changed and our children are learning lies.......
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written by a guest, August 31, 2010 23:41:18
Why the fcuk is UMNO always harping in their lapdog spin media that they are the ones that gained independence from the British?

Even UMNO is still living in the past. . ., they claim to be fighting for independent but they are still keeping the "Orang Putih's" name for their party i.e., "United Malay National Organization".
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written by Ben, August 31, 2010 23:12:42
Thank you boss, for pampering us on this national day. This piece of history is indeed valuable in shedding light on the truth that all Malaysians made it possible to achieve independence. Like they say history will repeat itself, again, as Malaysians unite to achieve economic and social independence. But first we need better governance, one that is transparent, competent and accountable to the rakyat. Only then will we shout Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! until we are hoarse because we are truly independent and free from all the atrocities and injustice caused by bad governance.

Father God, we thank you for making RPK our conscience and burning light in our hour of darkness. Protect him and his family that he may continue to be the willing vessel in Your transformation of Malaysia. Amen.
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written by red1, August 31, 2010 22:52:25
That explains why Umno cpuld not live up to its title today. It never earn it in the first place.
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written by anon, August 31, 2010 22:51:51
Pete, I believe ...how I don't know...that they showed this on TV....that what you said is true. AMCJA spearheaded Malaya's Independence....and not UMNO or any other party associated with it. Strange how they screened it for all to see. Then again, we have some morons sitting as censors ....some bad words go uncensored while other innocent ones are censored. Even sh*t, damn and such words are censored now....no bad words please...we are Malaysians!

It does not feel like Merdeka today. I mean, unlike previous years, it is like a very quiet day....one wonders why it is a public holiday. Perhaps that is why they had the 'celebrations' indoors....as it would be obvious if they held it at say, Bukit Jalil or the National Stadium...half empty - those coerced into attending the parade and whatnot.

It's when things like these happen, I still have hope that all races will be united...someday.



...
written by cheekhiaw, August 31, 2010 22:10:08
Those thieves would steal anything they can...including history
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written by mick_err_stan, August 31, 2010 20:28:51
In a nutshell, UMNO uses racial sentiment to gain Malay support and at the same time keep them ignorant. These Malays due to inadequate education depend on handout and turn a blind eye to the wholesale plundering of the country's coffer. How can I celebrate Merdeka knowing that our leaders are both racist and corrupt???? . Sial Betul !!!!
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written by Voter get Voters 1, August 31, 2010 20:25:36
My niece got a FREE Malaysia flag from a very popular shopping complex in KL on 30th Aug...and she wun even display it.
Patriotism is when one buys a flag and display it openly and with pride.....even a free flags wun do the job, this show the low level of patriotism under BN rule. Merdeka????
I shout Merdeka every day when BN is voted OUT.
...
written by SpeakOut, August 31, 2010 20:01:48
No flags spell trouble for BN. You are going to be buried at the next GE.
...
written by Nixcloud, August 31, 2010 19:46:35
the history according to umNO, chapter 34 is only 40% truth....
...
written by Better My, August 31, 2010 19:41:41
Thank you for digging up real history that was "supressed.
Under an open PR government, historians and academics will have exciting field days ahead of them when they are fully supported to put up all their studies and hypothesis/arguments on our history. Putting Malaysia history in is true light without any obstruction, will be the great celebration on the rakyat true heritage.

Then the answer "who is a Malay" will be answered with full of pride, not shame. It will bring up all the goosebumps when the DNA/genes will more likely prove that Malay, Indian, chinese are quite genes related in the Malay race. Then we will see each with ALOT more compassion, and curse the lost years that we did not do more to help each other.

We will have a TRULY united Malaysia that we always dream of. We are not far turning the dream into a reality. then Merdeka would be the Independence day that will TOUCH the hearts of every rakyat. The Malaysian flags will flutter about with greatest pride to all, 100x more than the pride we ever felt before.
It would be pure MAGIC for all.

United states of East and West. Nothing gets in the ways of strong Sabahan/Sarawakian, good malay for the good PR force. We can do it.
.
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written by Wakeupmsia, August 31, 2010 19:29:15
My Lordship, Raja Petra. In Bahasa Malaysia it means Ampun Tuanku, Raja Petra. Hamba membaca semua artikel yang Tuanku tulis. Hamba rasa ramai Rakyat Malaysia membaca juga. Please excuse my BM if it's not good. I feel the strong sense of using my country's language as today is Merdeka, though the feelings of Merdeka is not like yesteryears. It would be such a waste not to read your articles for it leave an option in the mind to believe or not to believe your writing. In all instances, not most, it's factual and logical. Long Live Raja Petra, Long Live Raja Petra, Long Live Raja Petra.
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written by educationist, August 31, 2010 19:14:57
History is written by the victors never the vanquished!
Yes, this is an interesting bit of our nation's fight for independence that should be told.
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written by pixieface, August 31, 2010 19:08:55
The amenoes and be enders could feel IT in their bones that there will be poor response from the public for the merdeka sprirt.
Hence, there were no grandiose plans this year.
The regime are afraid that the merdeka spirit could turn on them.
Yes we want merdeka from the amenoes and the be enders.
Enough of their plundering, looting, murders, corruption, tyranny and bigotry.
MERDEKA MERDEKA MERDEKA FROM THE B END.
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written by panca, August 31, 2010 18:29:57
This is good reading and recorded material for historical cross-reference and would be invaluable for the new anak Malaysian to know the past what umno tried very hard and successfully kept it buried until now.

My quote would be:

"When a new dawn shall finally break, the shadowy clouds be blown away, the Sun will penetrate and glow away the darkness that has blinded the lost truth for far too long, the grass and trees that deprives of sunlight will be nourished again, that will be the new beginning."
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written by samadhi8, August 31, 2010 17:35:36
Thank You RPK. Forwarding this link for my kids to read, so they can relate to the importance of history, especially Malayan history which they hate as taught in school!

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written by ibabonma, August 31, 2010 17:30:15

I went around for almost 5 hours shopping in around Ipoh yesterday and by count I found only 4 cars flying the flags! Today on my way back to KL, for almost two and the half hours driving along the North South Highway, I found no one fluttering the flag on both side of the highways.

It is indeed a disappointing sight. Why are they not flying the flag? I don’t know. As far as I am concerned, why should I fly the flag when everything is so expensive over the counters of which Umno is responsible and most importantly, my late father and others contributions in fighting for independence from the British were never recognised and instead proclaimed somebody else was the father of independence! Lastly, because they ISA-ed him and thousand others like a criminal.

Glad to say, it is an opinion shared by millions …. serve them right!.

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