THE MEMOIRS OF MUSTAPHA HUSSAIN - Malaysia Today

Saving Malay Police Officers 203
he will be allowed to return to his homeland? He abused the hard work
by KMM members to become wealthy enough to set up and run a bank
in Indonesia. In his letter, Ibrahim claimed to have released Raja Ahmed
Hisham, but the truth is otherwise.
Raja Ahmed Hisham’s car, a Morris 6-cylinder, was taken by his
captor, Onan Haji Siraj, and left in Johore Baru. Later, when I was on
my way home from Singapore after it fell, I looked for the car and
brought it back to Kuala Lumpur to return it to Raja Ahmed Hisham.
Sutan Jenain, who sent the car on my behalf, took that opportunity to
preach to Raja Ahmed Hisham about the KMM, its noble intentions and
its efforts to help the Malays. Sutan Jenain also appealed to Raja Ahmed
Hisham to take another look at the Malay struggle.
When the British returned to power in 1945, I was imprisoned in Batu
Gajah for almost a year. After my release, I was re-arrested, this time to
be questioned by the British CID chief at his Kuala Lumpur office. On
my way to the CID chief’s office, I came across the three CID officers
whose lives I had saved – Raja Ahmed Hisham, Jalaluddin Abu Bakar
and Hashim Misai.
Hashim Misai rushed to kiss my hands. It was a most difficult
emotional situation. Tears welled in my eyes at this extraordinary gesture
of gratitude. Raja Ahmed Hisham was shocked to see me unkempt and
emaciated – I was known as an immaculate dresser. He was also taken
aback by Hashim’s humble demonstration of gratitude. I managed to tell
Raja Ahmed Hisham that there were many other people whose lives I had
saved before I was brought to the CID office on that day.
A short while later, in a harsh and loud voice, the British CID chief
read out the allegations against me: arresting, detaining and torturing
British Malaya’s CID officers. Raja Ahmed Hisham was the first person
to be called in to confirm these severe charges. It was my turn (not Raja
Ahmed Hisham’s) to wait for the verdict. What a twist of fate! A minute
seemed like an hour as I waited with bated breath for Raja Ahmed
Hisham to speak. Then, in his very English accent, Raja Ahmed Hisham
announced, “Not true! In fact, if not for Enchik Mustapha’s help, my
assistants and I would have been beheaded by the Japanese.” I let out a
long sigh of relief.
Jalaluddin and Hashim Misai also gave similar answers. I felt safe.
What could the British CID chief do if his officers would not press the
charges he had already prepared on paper? Had one of them testified
that I had touched them, even if only with a ruler, I was sure I would
have been sent to prison for at least ten years.
In the long interrogation that followed, my answers to the CID chief