THE MEMOIRS OF MUSTAPHA HUSSAIN - Malaysia Today

Contesting the Post of UMNO President 373
Many reactions followed, including an announcement of contenders
to be suggested by other UMNO branches, including Sardon Jubir,
Datuk Hamzah Abdullah, Captain Hussein Onn and Dr Ismail bin Abdul
Rahman. But an influential UMNO member, Haji Ahmad Fuad, highlighted
in the 1 July 1951 Utusan Melayu that the best candidate would
be “an active man with great determination, knowledgeable in Malayan
politics, not in government service and aged between 38 and 45.”
On 3 July 1951, another Utusan Melayu piece reported that “According
to reports from Kuala Lipis, many found Enchik Mustapha an
attractive candidate to replace Datuk Onn as UMNO President because
he meets almost all the requirements.” It added, “Under the leadership of
such a man, UMNO could meet its objectives more clearly and actively
for the benefit of the Malays, particularly the rural Malays.” I was strongly
supported in Perak. Utusan Melayu of 1 July 1951 reported “Utusan
Melayu had met with Perak’s representative to the UMNO Working
Committee Meeting, Enchik Nasruddin bin Rais yesterday… he has no
objections to the nomination of Enchik Mustapha because he said UMNO
was looking for an independent man knowledgeable in politics to work
for the good of the people.”
In the meantime, at an UMNO meeting, Datuk Onn asked, “Has
Enchik Mustapha become an UMNO member?” Hamzah Alang, a former
KMM member who was then Kuala Lumpur UMNO Youth Secretary,
took it upon himself to enrol me. (The truth was, I had earlier advised
Hamzah Alang to join UMNO and fight from within UMNO. He had at
one time said, “If Chikgu (me) asked me to leave UMNO, I would leave
UMNO.”) With Hamzah Alang’s help, I became a member of the Kampung
Baru UMNO Branch. Luckily, I was already free of the conditions
imposed on me by the British since 1946. I was perhaps the first UMNO
member enrolled in a flash and was the only UMNO member ever
nominated as President before becoming a member. This will not be
repeated as UMNO rules and regulations were tightened after the event.
The competition soon heated up. Utusan Melayu’s announcement
was answered by its rival, Majlis, 1 a conservative right-wing paper led
by Melan Abdullah. 2 I did not dare campaign because invisible barriers
laid by the British were quite visible to me, an experienced left-wing
politician. My shop was ‘fenced’ by four CID men day and night. Homes
of friends who could campaign for me were similarly treated; the given
reason being that it was for their safety.
I had planned to garner support in Melaka and Perak. It was not
too late to motivate the pro-feudal Malays of Perak and Melaka towards
the people’s struggle. But why were my former MNP friends and Dr