THE MEMOIRS OF MUSTAPHA HUSSAIN - Malaysia Today

Drafting a Constitution for Malaya 271
have slipped over the border to consult people in Kedah too, though he
claimed it took this time to persuade Mustapha) and then they all went
to ask Umezu what his intentions were.” 4 Prof. Itagaki’s comments on
my leadership are most encouraging, but I want to state very clearly that
the person who coaxed me to participate in KRIS was Dr Burhanuddin
Al-Helmi, and not Ibrahim. The KMM President appeared in Taiping only
in the second week of August 1945 while KRIS had already been born
in July.
According to Prof. Itagaki, at his own request, Major General Umezu,
who shared his sympathies for the nationalist movement, agreed to do
all he could to persuade me. Itagaki still remembers my meeting with
Major General Umezu. He had written that I had begun the meeting
sceptically and had asked many questions.
But Major General Umezu had won Mustapha round by disarmingly saying, “I
wish to speak honestly with you all today. Our policy towards the Malay
nationalist movement all this while has been wrong. We realise this too late.
We must change our policy. We should now do our best to respond to your
nationalistic desire. Although the war is still on, we must do our best to implement
our policy.”
Prof. Itagaki, who was interpreting, recalls that after Major General Umezu
admitted the weaknesses of the Japanese, he noticed a sudden transformation
in Mustapha’s demeanour. He was smiling. Later, Mustapha told Itagaki he had
been impressed by Major General Umezu’s sincerity, especially his admission
of the Japanese mistake. This, he claimed, few Japanese would ever do. When
the group returned to Itagaki’s residence, they became exuberant and began
dancing and singing. Tears welled up in Mustapha’s eyes. 5
Prof. Itagaki continued that everyone agreed to work for Independence
through KRIS and after the second meeting, KMM leaders dispersed
around Malaya to organise regional groups. “The real purpose of
Major General Umezu, I stressed, was to make of these KMM type
potential agents of the Japanese Army in Malay areas, after the expected
Allied counter attack in Malaya. Independence was not really practical.
The KMM group was the one used for this purpose because it was the
only political party in Malaya.” 6
As part of Japanese efforts to support Malaya’s independence through
Hodosho or KRIS, Ishak Haji Muhammad (Pak Sako) was invited to cooperate.
He was assigned by Dr Burhanuddin to organise Malay youths
in the east coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu, so that if the Japanese
were defeated, the Malays, KMM supporters, would carry arms against
the Allied Forces in defending Malaya’s Independence.
Equipped with a little money and several documents, Ishak left for
Padang Besar, and then to Yala, Haadyai, Golok, Rantau Panjang and back