THE MEMOIRS OF MUSTAPHA HUSSAIN - Malaysia Today

234 Memoirs of Mustapha Hussain
Soldiers and Their Families Return Home
In late February and early March 1942, with the help of KMM, hundreds
of Malay soldiers and their family members left for home in Peninsula
Malaya. Some left on their own, some in trucks and trains arranged by
the Japanese. While Ibrahim was busy running other things, Chikgu Abu
Samah and the wily Ibrahim Alla Ditta helped me send off the soldiers
and their families. Whether the soldiers knew of my contribution is not
important. What is important to me was that I had used my position as a
KMM leader and my good relations with the Japanese, especially Major
Fujiwara and his men, to save, assist and free my own people. Should
anyone remember me, it would be nice to hear from them.
Capt. Raja Aman Shah’s Heroism
This story has never been told until now, 20 October 1986. Volunteer
Officer Jaafar bin Mampak, my good friend and brother officer in the
Agricultural Department, planned to escape together with Capt. Raja
Aman Shah. But the latter declined the offer and said in Perak Malay,
“Pak Por, you should escape. You have many children. If you die, you
have nobody to look after them. In my case there are people who can
look after my family. If the Japanese were to come and investigate, I will
give you the necessary cover.” So said this selfless man who put the
interests of others above all else.
And so when darkness fell, this old pal of mine escaped from the
POW detention camp at Farrer Park and took shelter in a house where
he slept among corpses. He then worked his way to a certain alley in
Singapore where many ex-soldiers were in hiding. With a Fujiwara
(KMM) Pass from me he later left for home. He thus escaped the massacre
on Beduk Beach.
Arrests and Allegations in Singapore
Thirty years after the war was over Ibrahim wrote to me that “in view of
the fact that educated Malays were scarce, KMM did all it could to save
the lives of several educated Malays from Japanese decapitation, among
them Captain Hashim (died of illness in 1943); Yusof bin Ishak (Editor
of Utusan Melayu daily and later first President of Singapore); Police
Inspector Hamzah from Kelantan; MVI Captain Mohd Ali bin Mohamed
from Pahang; MVI Captain Tunku Muhammad bin Tunku Besar
Burhanuddin from Negeri Sembilan; MVI Captain Jaafar from Perak;
Police Inspector Abdul Rahim from Singapore and many others. It was