THE MEMOIRS OF MUSTAPHA HUSSAIN - Malaysia Today

Japanese Reject Independence for Malaya 195
Luckily, history books had given me insight into a newly invaded
country. The pre-war Malayan public knew little about communists and
communism. What I had heard was that communists were instigators
who wreaked havoc. The Malay press consistently pictured them as evil,
godless and wanton. Some Malay papers described them as the enemy
of God. Muslim religious teachers likened them to the Kaum Muda, a
group they deemed young reformers.
As for me, my political mentor Sutan Jenain had taught me that while
Japan and its allies Germany and Italy were fascists, Russia was a
communist country. These two ideologies would be in constant conflict
until one became crippled. Communists were leaders who led the working
class in times of peace and shouldered arms in times of war or when
threatened by fascists.
While in Kuala Lumpur, a Volunteer Officer, Captain Zainal Abidin
bin Ali, came to see me at KMM House. He told me he was unwilling to
move south after Gemas with the British forces. When he claimed to have
destroyed two coach-loads of weapons so they would not fall into British
hands, I politely nodded my head at his tall story. Zainal requested KMM
help to send him home to Kuantan, Pahang. With great pain, we managed
to persuade Japanese officers to give us a car, travel passes and petrol,
since all three items were extremely difficult to obtain. Captain Zainal
Abidin and several others were soon loaded into an Austin 8, some sitting
inside, some hanging off the side, some sitting on the bonnet and four
people lying face down on the hood. Imagine, this was a KMM gesture
to help Malays. Hopefully, we would receive their support. But like most
good deeds, it went forgotten.
Another man, a Malay Co-operative Officer, came to befriend me,
enquiring about KMM affairs. I knew he was a British intelligence agent.
His name is mentioned in W.R. Roff’s book, The Origins of Malay
Nationalism. Vouching he had ruined all boats off Kuala Selangor so that
the British could not catch hold of them, he requested to see a Japanese
Commander to claim a reward for this sabotage work. What? He underestimated
my intelligence. Did he not know that I was fully aware of his
other job?
I pulled him into a room where I revealed my knowledge of his
‘second job’. If he hoped to be rewarded, he might just get it in the form
of a samurai sword zinging down his neck. I ordered him out of KMM
House before The Chained Lion 13 could get to him. This Malay Cooperative
Officer left with a lesson he would never forget. This was the
calibre of British intelligence agents! Why were the British fond of employing
Co-operative Officers, Education Officers and some Civil Service
Officers for such jobs?