THE MEMOIRS OF MUSTAPHA HUSSAIN - Malaysia Today

312 Memoirs of Mustapha Hussain
retreated south and crossed border-town Tanjung Malim at the beginning
of the Japanese invasion, we, Perak state subjects were no longer under
the British administration. Therefore, our activities after that should not
be British concern except for war crimes.’ That is our best defence. Do
not dream anyone will come to defend us like Lal Shastri is doing for
the Indians!” Another detainee interrupted, “Why are the British so unfair
and cruel? They should have defended Malaya. Instead, they fled, leaving
us to the Japanese. Now, we are at fault! Where is justice?”
Unable to pin down a definite charge against Indian detainees and
not wanting to aggravate the ‘Jai Hind’ call reverberating in India, Indian
detainees were released. Shastri’s visit was fruitful. If the Indians were
found not guilty in their political and military activities to free their
motherland, why then did the British punish us Malays for less serious
wrong-doings?
Japanese Prisoners
Now, let me touch on yet another group of the Batu Gajah Prison
dwellers. They came from the Far East, from The Land of the Rising
Sun. These samurais had deflated the British ego in February 1942, but
now the British has returned to Asia and other parts of the world with
a vengeance.
I once drew a samurai sword after pressing a button. As sharp as
razor blades, they were said to be ‘plated’ with human blood. A Japanese
would not draw one unless it was to be fed with blood. Luckily no
Japanese saw me draw the sword or I might have been decapitated. The
samurai sword is very different from the swords carried by British
Officers. It had a long hilt for easy grip with both hands and used mostly
for chopping. Both the Japanese and British Officers used their swords
to give order to their troops. One would say ‘Yat!’ and the other ‘Charge!’
The sharpness and weight of the samurai sword is evident by the one
movement needed to chop a head, just like the guillotine. British Officers’
swords are kind of blunt and not sharp enough for killing, More for show,
for parades and ceremonial events.
The power held by this Eastern race ended on 15 August 1945. After
massive losses of lives in Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings,
Japan bowed in abject defeat. Prior to that, the call of ‘kurrah’ (come
quickly) from sentry guards could curdle our blood. Very few could say
they had never been slapped by Japanese sentry guards. Now, all Japanese
‘kakkas’ (bosses) were being transported into the Batu Gajah Prison to
swell its population. A perfect example of a twist of fate!