TRUE STORY. I was born, late December 1945 in a small kampomg in Perak, between Sungkai and Bidor, Kampong Bikam. The era was BMA (British Millitary Administration). The British came back to Malaya after the Japanese occupation when the Americans dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. During the vaccum, PKM or the Bintang Tiga terrorized Malaya.
Before the British came, PKM (Parti Komunis Malaya) terrorizes Malaya for fourteen (14) days. I was not yet born but my grandparents used to tell me stories about it. I stayed with my grandparents in the kampong since I was born, late 1945 until 1960 when I moved on staying in the school Hostel to do my Lower Secondary.
Members of Parti Komunis Malaya.
As related by my Grandmother during the Japanese occupation, they ran and hid seeking for safety at Ulu Bikam. If you are travelling north it is somewhere between Ladang Bikam Rest area and the mountain range on your right. In fact, my elder cousin sister was born there and I used to tease her that she was born in the Ulu area.
During the highlight of the Communist reign of Terror, my late father who was the Penghulu of Sungkai then, was already tied to a tree and waiting for the command of “fire”. Fortunately, the Ketua Kampong (the Village Headman) appeared on time and after several minutes of negotiations my late father was finally released. Being the Penghulu, my father was the Rice Storehouse Custodian and the Communists were terribly angry that they were starved of the commodities.
1950s - Communists still infesting the sub district of Sungkai and the Communists could easily make a getaway escape route across the Main Range to Bentong and Kuala Lipis in Pahang. Kampong Bikam where I stayed was deserted at night due to the 6 to 6 curfew. Rice was rationed according to the numbers of family members in a particular house. I still remember at night we had to eat boiled tapioca (ubi kayu) as my Grandmother wanted to ration the rice for my Aunt’s wedding. Sometimes my Grandfather went missing at night as he was deployed as “Home Guard” to look after the kampong security. My Grandfather used to have a shot gun and I used to watch him cleaning the barrel but was never allowed to touch it. The house was also equipped with long parang, kris and spears in case the Communists disturbed our peace. The house where I stayed was quite near to the north/south railway line and at night before the Mail Train passed, an armed reconnaissance train tank with searchlights will lead the way. That was to ensure that the Communists did not remove the rail track or ambushed the Mail train. As a small boy I was looking forward to see the searchlight naively not knowing the danger then. In fact Kampong Bikam used to have a Railway Station but it was closed due to security reason during the Emergency era.
Food Ration Card.
By the main road of Kampong Bikam we have rows of Chinese Shop houses and I still remember my first haircut was at the Chinese Barber Shop. Suddenly the whole row of shops went missing, it was dismantled by the British and the whole Chinese in that area was relocated to a new fencing area, New Village few miles north and named it as Kampong Coldstream. It is still there and you can locate it if you are travelling north just before Bidor to your left on the old highway. The majority of the Chinese there was from Kampong Bikam. My Grandfather used to cycle to Kampong Coldstream selling rubber to the Chinese Rubber Dealers. These people were not Communists but they might be Sympathizers to the Communists in that area who were mainly Chinese. Most Chinese in Malaya were rounded up and kept in fenced New villages so that the British administration can check their movement. They still could go out from the village to work and to do other chores but no food was allowed to be taken out.
Chinese New Village.
Some of the able bodied kampong folk men and women joined SC (Special Forces) and became Security guard at European Estates or assisting the Police Constables at road blocks. Road blocks were common during those days but it was no troublesome as we could count the number of moving vehicles using the road. No civilian using the road at night then. These SC were subjected to constant Communists target and they sacrificed their lives checking the Communists movement and finally……………..today we enjoy the fruits of their sacrifices. Who is the actual HERO??
In the middle of the kampong, the residents built a training center cum the last post with bunkers. Once a month the Police from Sungkai would visit the kampong and trained the Home Guard how to maintain and used the shotguns to counter any insurgents by the Communists as what happened at Bukit Kepong. As a small boy I love to see the tactic taught and the dummies used. The first alarm would be the vigorous sound of the Mosque “kerantong” (wooden drum) and all the kampong residents were taught what to do.
I saw the aftermath of a Communist onslaught against a troop of Special Forces somewhere near the kampong. I went to the Surau tagged behind my Grandfather where they performed the last Muslim rites to the fallen SC and then for burial. The Communist Camp was however destroyed and I remember Pak Unggae got the Communist’s pet monkey and name it “Nondi”.
I only tasted full freedom in 1957 when we achieved Merdeka (Independence) and the bloody Communists in my area were washout. I still did not trust ordinary Chinese then except for my classmates.
How can I concur with Mat Sabu that the Communists were the real hero fighting for Independence? He must be NUT. I nearly lost my father, ate boiled tapioca at night, locked down due to curfew, constant threat of sudden Communists attack and kept the night light to minimal. I could not read my books in comfort and years went by my eye sights were fading, short sighted. The Communists were terrorizing the Malayans because they wanted to bring in Communist China doctrine to Malaya. Mat Sabu did not taste what I underwent as he was only brought to this world on 19 October 1954. Probably on Merdeka Day, 31 August 1957 he was still running around naked chasing after the chickens. He is still chasing.
My last word to you Mat Sabu, “When you want to talk, please removes your skull cap, for that skull cap is heating your brain preventing you from talking sense”.
Happy Birthday, sweetheart!!.
A very special ice cream icing cake with strawberries.
Blowing the 5 candles.
Ready to slice the cake.
A slice for everybody.
