THE MEMOIRS OF MUSTAPHA HUSSAIN - Malaysia Today

Saving Soldiers and Freeing KMM Members 219
Johar claimed to have seen a strange bundle, like a shrouded dead
man, under a mosquito net. I did not initially believe Johar’s story, but
he was my student and he did not know how to lie. I then remembered
reading a book where a stupid and useless soldier was finally made
candidate for the ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’. Is there a grave of an
unknown Japanese soldier in Singapore now? If there is, the ‘occupant’
is none other than the bundled one seen by KMM Fifth Columnist Johar
bin Kerong. 4
I would like to add an interesting story about Johar. After the
momentous ceremony, Johar was hardly out of his power uniform, but
no one dared cross his path, not even Ibrahim and Onan. Johar was fond
of travelling into the city, sitting proudly in an 8-cylinder Chevrolet like
a Japanese Master, with Hamzah Tajuddin as his driver.
One night, while I was talking with other KMM members on the
future of the Malays under the new Far East fascist coloniser, three F
Kikan Japanese members came to KMM House pretending to look for
something. I got up to ask. After much hesitation, they disclosed that they
were looking for two KMM members whose car had knocked down two
Japanese soldiers on a motorcycle, causing serious injury to one of them.
I had to think fast. I lied to the Japanese that I had sent the two
members home as I myself did not approve of their behaviour. “They
have become naughty”, I told them. A Japanese responded, “It is all right
to be naughty, but it is wrong to hit and run. It is not humane and the
two should be taught a lesson.” They left after I promised to personally
“teach the two a lesson.” Shortly after, I sent the two KMM members
home to Selangor.
According to Johar, it was the motorcycle that collided into his car.
But I think neither Big Boss Johar’s driver nor the motorcyclist had a
licence. Both parties were at fault. One of the motorcyclists was apparently
flung under a lorry. The other not too badly hurt Japanese got up
in a hurry and in great pain apologised profusely to Master Johar in his
impressive uniform. After as smart a salute as he could muster, the
Japanese soldier told Johar to “Please get on with whatever you were
doing and never mind us.”
KMM House and F Kikan Headquarters
On the morning of 16 February, I was taken by F Kikan Officers to Jalan
Malcolm where they had commandeered three two-storey British Quarters
already converted into barracks for billeting soldiers during the war.
Foodstuff – such as rice, anchovy, salt, chilli and canned sardines – were