THE MEMOIRS OF MUSTAPHA HUSSAIN - Malaysia Today

388 Memoirs of Mustapha Hussain
the Malay Rulers except for the Sultan of Perak who did not want to
accept the Alliance delegation.
In early 1954, an agreement was reached between the British and the
Alliance. At the end of that same year, in the general elections, the
Alliance won State Legislative Council seats in Terengganu and Johore
by defeating Datuk Onn’s party. Then the Malayan Indian Congress
(MIC) joined the Alliance. It was in relation to this incident that Datuk
Onn cracked a sarcastic joke, “MIC means ‘May I come?’”
I spent much time and energy at the newly established UMNO in
Taiping. The mainstays of UMNO then were Tuan Syed Jaafar Albar,
Chik Khatijah Sidik, and some other locals. The house of my cousin
Mokhtar bin Haji Abdul Manaf in Assam Kumbang, Taiping, was where
UMNO members rested, ate and slept. Later, UMNO President Tunku
Abdul Rahman Putera arrived and his main concern seemed to be the Hale
Street UMNO in Ipoh, led by Datuk Panglima Bukit Gantang.
In our meeting with the Tunku, we enquired if he was going to
demand full independence from the British or just self-government. To
our delight, the Tunku confirmed that UMNO was going all out for full
independence. I promised the Tunku to do my share to displace the British
from our homeland and I would campaign all over Perak. In view of the
fact that many political leaders had sought me on the same issue, I said,
“Leave Perak state to me and Mokhtar.” After lunch, Tunku took out his
wallet that contained a $15 cash cheque. I joked, “Do not worry Tunku,
the people will not forget!”
Taiping Town Council Elections
After the Alliance’s meeting with the British government, a Taiping Town
Council election was held to include Kemunting (now Kamunting),
Kampung Boyan, Kampung Jana, Pokok Assam and Green House Area.
Before UMNO had its own house in Taiping, my insurance agency was
used by the Alliance to participate in the Town Council Elections. It was
filled to bursting with banners, pamphlets and posters. I was coaxed by
Taiping’s former MNP members into contesting for a seat, and won.
On the closing night of the elections, I was elected as the Principal
Speaker at a ceremony held at the crowded Taiping bus station. Most of
the audience that night was Chinese, mostly young men. So, I decided
to include historical facts on the existence of Malay-Chinese friendship
since the days of the Melaka Sultanate when a Chinese Emperor had
presented the Melaka Sultan with a Chinese Princess to be his wife. The
goodwill and friendship enjoyed were based on respect for each other.