THE MEMOIRS OF MUSTAPHA HUSSAIN - Malaysia Today

120 Memoirs of Mustapha Hussain
flying colours at the renowned Malay College. Among the many elected
members of the Federal Council, he was the most vocal, especially on
issues related to Malay rights. He once openly questioned the British for
employing non-Malays in Government Offices. The British conveniently
replied, “Because there are no English-educated Malays.” Yet, right from
the outset, it was the British Government’s policy not to encourage Malays
to attend English medium schools.
Datuk Abdullah fought solely for the Malay cause. He demanded that
the British allocate more Malay Reserve Land and provide more employment
for Malays in government offices monopolised by foreign races,
such as the Malayan Railways, Posts and Telegraphs, and Public Works
Department. He admitted that many Malays were employed in low
positions, but what about senior posts such as Station Masters? Why were
the Malays not entrusted with more responsibility? When the crippling
1929 Depression forced the British to retrench workers, Datuk Abdullah
issued a warning to the British ‘not to touch’ Malay employees. Having
suggested that immigrants be dismissed first, he was, needless to say,
unpopular among the Chinese and Indians.
I take my hat off to Datuk Undang Rembau, a most courageous man,
vocal in the 1920s and 1930s, when almost no on else dared to speak up
against the British. Datuk Undang Rembau was apparently sent out of
the Council by the British on the excuse that he was suffering from a
nervous breakdown. The British thus succeeded in getting rid of a thorn
in their side! I pray his deeds are well remembered by the Malays and
that Allah blesses his soul.
Mohd Eunos bin Abdullah from Singapore
The late Mohd Eunos bin Abdullah was educated in both Malay and
English schools. He left government service to take up journalism. His
editorials were usually incisive and fiercely committed to the fate of the
Malays. He was chosen by the Straits Settlements Government as an
advisor on matters related to the Malays in Singapore. With far-reaching
influences, he was later appointed a Justice of the Peace (JP). In 1924,
he was elected a member of the Straits Settlements Council and was the
backbone of many Singapore Malay social and religious bodies. I
remember he once lashed out, “I know the Chinese would like to see the
Malays leave Singapore island with their bedrolls.”
Let me now go back to the immigrant races living in Matang, in
addition to the four white men. Indians were favoured by the private
sector as they were cheap labour and subservient to their estate masters.