34 Reporting the May Talks
Siao Chang, Ah Hai and Ah Chong said goodbye to Lau Yang and returned
to 6 Independent. At the end of May, Ah Hai got back to Negri.
He called meetings of the two special committees (Ah Chuan did not attend
as he was ill)
He reported on the May Talks and informed the meeting of the approval
of the unified Negri State Committee of the Party and Army and the mass
organisation
The State Committee comprised Ah Hai, Siao Liu, Ah Shen, Liew
Yit Fun with Ah Hai as secretary, Liew Yit Fun as propaganda chief.
Lau Hsiao was to be in charge of organisation and the committee members
were Ah Chuan, Siao Liu and Ah Shen
The division of work was as follows:
Ah Hai and Siao Liu to head the organisation in Seremban and Port
Dickson
Liew Yit Fun to head the Tampin organisation
Shao Yang to head the Kuala Pilah and Bahau organisation
Ah Shen and Ah Chuan (who was still ill) to head the Pertang and
Titi organisations.
The former Northeast Special Committee was to despatch Shih Ke,
Siao Soon, and the T'e Loong Working Group to lead the Temiang and Desa
Sikamat resistance association and start work in Mantin. Ah Ping
(Lin Kuan Ying), Tse Ming, Huang Hua, Ah Chuan (younger brother of Hwang
Ai Ping) and Ah Sui - husband and wife - working team to go to the Seremban
hills and develop mass work along Kg Nanais, Pamei , and Rahang . Liu
Chen Chou, Chi Yu and Li Choon were to form the committee for Titi area,
with Chen Chou as secretary.
State Committee despatched Pang Sin to be the core leader of the
Ah Ping Working Group with Ah Pin as deputy core leader
A new work plan was discussed and agreed as follows:
1) to inform all Negri Party and Army units of the Central's abolition
of the North-South and South-West Special Committees and the restoration
of the Negri State Committee in order to facilitate a unified leadership
of the Negri anti-Japanese movement
2) Each area to improve area and branch organisations and leading
organisations of the anti-Japanese alliance and enhance the role of
the Party and mass organisations, taking into account the cadre situation
3) Actively enlarge the Party and mass organisations, all activists
with qualifications to be Party members in anti-Japanese (Resistance
Alliance and self defence corps) to be made Party members at the right
moment
4) Expand the Armed Peoples Movement
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5) Expand the Resist Japan Self Defence
Corps from which recruits will go to the Anti-Japanese army (In
the other states Anti-Japanese Reserve Units were set up but Negri continued
to use this term because since the beginning of the Anti-Japanese struggle
they had defended the village assisted the Resistance Alliance and the
Anti-Japanese Army and had a honourable history)
6) Seize opportunities to expand work in the Malay villages,
especially in Kg Jampoh at the edge of the Kuala Pilah jungle
7) Use different channels to develop united front work among
the upper strata of society in Seremban, Kuala Pilah, Tampin, Port Dickson
and Jelebu
8) Intensify the elimination of traitors, especially plan the
extermination of the high ranking traitors Li Yuan Chang and Ah
Tie, known in Penang as Pai Cho, a former trade union cadre who came to
Negri in July 1041 and called himself Ah Tie and who in 1943 became committee
member of Selangor and turned traitor when arrested
9) Intensify propaganda work so as to encourage confidence among
the masses of the victory over the Japanese and to encourage them to
take part in the fight against the Japanese
10) Strengthen communications between Seremban, Kuala Pilah and
Tampin and under secure conditions and going through Malay kampongs
11) Conduct short term classes for cadres with District Committee
members as lecturers. The lessons should consist of: 1. The present international
situation, 2. The programme of the resist Japan battle, 3. The
Party constitution and "The essential cadres work programme," 4.
The mass line
12) Conduct training courses for Anti-Japanese people cadres
(Resistance Alliance and Resistance Self-defence Corps cadres). Subjects:
1 Present international situation 2. The Resist Japan Programme
of the 9th Plenum 3. The four Disciplines of the Anti-Japanese Army
13) Set up contact points for direct contact with Lai Te (as
said earlier, strangers being seen soon afterwards this plan was abandoned,)
35 Swift developments
In August, Ah Hai went on inspection and requested Lau Shao and
Liew Yit Fun, who were stationed at Bahau and Tampin respectively, to
meet him at Ayer Hitam. They met at an Orang Aslie village at Ayer Hitam
at the home of one of our Orang Asli compatriots. (Their stilt houses
were simple and strong, pillars made of tree trunks, walls of bamboo,
roof of wild attap, floors and stairs of bamboo). There was a storm and
the rains had caused the waters to rise to the floor of the house.
The Orang Asli greeted us warmly. While the men went fishing the
wives prepared ambikacang i.e. pieces of tapioca left in the stream for
5 or 6 days then ground into flour, roasted with salt and transformed
into excellent "rice". The neighbours brought us pelandok meat. We offered
to pay. At first they refused payment but after we explained to them that
the 4 Disciplines and the 8 Points for Attention demanded our obedience,
they accepted payment. However they gave us back a portion as a donation
to the Anti-Japanese forces
We ate with the men (women did not eat with us). We left them
saying that it was time for our meeting.
We three sat on the floor during the meeting.
Liew Yit Fun was highly pleased to report to the meeting that
the situation was improving every day. Anti-Japanese spirits were high.
Not only was work expanding in the Chinese villages but also among the
Malay and Indian villages (estates) The Tampin anti-Japanese organisation
had developed to the Malacca border (The Tampin railway line formed the
border on one side of which was Negri and the other the Malacca area).
The Tampin work had also spread to the Linggi-Pasir Panjang near
Port Dickson. The workers at the holiday bungalows had gradually established
contact which extended to the outskirts of Seremban (i.e. Rembau
near Rahang. The Tampin anti-Japanese work now included some intellectuals
(men and women teachers such as Cha Tan (Note 105) Other work was proceeding
as laid down in the May meeting
Lao Shao (a member of the North Malaya Bureau at the beginning
of the anti-British war and who disappeared in the 50s) reported that
the situation in Kuala Pilah and Bahau was the same as in Tampin with little
change, though the work at Bahau was developing comparatively faster and
was improving
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Ah
Hai then met Ch'en Ch'un (whose Tampin platoon had merged with Ch'en
Hui's 24 Platoon to form a company. When 2 Independent went East Ch'en
Hui's platoon was sent to Pahang and Siao Chang placed Ch'en Ch'un's troop
under the command of 3 Independent which left them at Palong) Ch'en Ch'un
reported that his platoon was working together with the local People's
Movement and that the anti-Japanese movement was developing.
Ch'en Ch'un said it was closely guarded secret that he and the
Kuala Pilah police chief were in contact. The police chief had been anti-British
and wanted to use the Japanese to gain independence but learnt from experience
that the Japanese were worse than the British. He had said to Ch'en Ch'un,
"Wait till the time comes!"
Ah Hai advised Ch'en Ch'un to work with the police chief against
the Japanese and to maintain secrecy. Ch'en Ch'un said he had kept this
even from 3 Independent
Ah Hai then went to Pertang and Titi and received reports from
Ah Shen who said that the past few months had seen successes in Party
and mass work, especially in the Malay kampongs.The Durian Tipus
Liau Te Armed Peoples Movement had recruited activists in two Malay kampongs
and two had joined the armed peoples movement. One young man from Waman
village was very brave and active. Liao Te explained that the ancestors
from these villages had come from Sumatra. Their custom was that only women
had the right to property, that only young men who worked hard had the right
to a wife, which meant ownership of land and rubber estate. So when they
reached 18 or 19 young men had to work hard to earn the respect of young
women. This must be a factor in their being active and brave in the People's
Movement
Ah Hai said that the present international situation was good
and this must be an important thing in stirring up the revolutionary
consciousness of the young Malay men and women and making them work
harder in the struggle. Their self respect was stronger than in other
people and it made them want to be better than others in the struggle.
Ah Hai said that comrades should make assessments from the political
point of view
Ah Shen reported that Han Yuan and Ah Pao's armed units had opened
up farms in the Kuala Pilah hills and were planting maize and vegetables.
These farms were one hour away from the nearest farmers. These units
were actively developing Malay mass work in and around Kg Jampoh, Ah
Pao's Armed People's Movement being responsible for organisation around
Kg Jampoh which included the Kuala Pilah - Seremban road area and the
Tanjong Ipoh area
We had formerly been prejudiced and regarded the Malay kampong
as "backward" because we only saw that side of them which had swallowed
Japanese propaganda, that did not co-operate with the Chinese masses to
resist Japan. But that was wrong because it surely must take time for the
Malay masses to wake up to the truth about Japanese propaganda. Now after
three years they were seeing the true nature of the Japanese fascist reactionaries
and actively worked with us to drive out the fascists
Another factor was the continued strengthening of the world anti-fascist
forces which were nearing victory
Ah Hai went on to Kg Nannais and received reports from Siao
Liu of the State Committee, the commander Pan Sin, and commander
She Ke of the Armed People's Movement of Temiang and
the report of Desa Sikamat.
After Siao Liu had spoken Pang Sin and Ah Pin (Kuan Ying) also
reported expansion of the work in Kg Nanais, Pamei, and Desa Sikamat
which had expanded to Rahang. The Indian and Chinese masses along
the Seremban hills - Kuala Pilah road and Seremban - Tampin road
and Port Dickson were enthusiastically joining in the fight. Especially
noteworthy was a teacher called Chen Chin. Another called Yeh Shen Siu
(Note 106) who was fluent in English and could speak Japanese was in touch
with resistance Chinese and Indians. It was said that these Indians were
those who supported the Bose Indian National Army (Later they admitted
they were members of the Indian National Army and that they were lower ranking
officers of the Army and were supported by the higher ups)
According to Yeh Shen among them were a junior officer Apulujaya,
an officer Veerasenan (Note 107) and one Ayali, formerly employees of
English estates. They joined the Bose Indian National Army owing to a
hatred of British imperialism, wanting to attack all the way to India
to achieve Indian independence. But because of the decline in Japanese
fortunes they had to go back to their former positions in the estates. After
a period they learnt about us and wanted to join the resist Japan movement
When peace came these officers of the Indian National Army invited us to
Penang to meet Davies, an officer and their instructor. We sent Shao
Yang. Davies was delighted to meet him. Their army said they had 10,000 men
ready to join us in attacking the British. (When Ah Hai reported this to
Lai Te, Lai Te rejected the proposal saying that the world was at peace and
that the people hated war)
Reporting on Temiang and Desa Sikamat, She Ke said that
the mass organisations had grown and reached Mantin and nearby Beranang
and the outskirts of Seremban. Also Huang Sin (Tse Chou) and Tse Chen
who had been arrested by the Japanese and forced to join the traitor Ah
Tie's traitor force had secretly contacted us. Ah Hai advised absolutely
secrecy, and instructed that they be given tasks to purge their crimes
and that when the time was right to eliminate Ah Tie, Li Yen Chang, X X
Yung and Huang Hou
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She Ke also reported that Temiang had
recruited one Ku Ah Yong (Note 108) a Hakka originally from Kiangsi
as an activist in the Resistance League. He could speak English and it
was said that his father had escaped from Kiangsi to seek refuge here.
Ah Hai said such persons should be trained and when conditions allowed
should be posted. Later when Ah Hai and Ch'en Ch'un talked to Capsan(?)
and Fenner, Ku was interpreter. He was also interpreter to Ch'en Ch'un
when the latter went to London.
The people at Kg Nanais felt that to defeat the Japanese
imperialists it was not enough to rely on the Armed Peoples Movement;
there must be strong anti-Japanese forces available. They had never seen
our Army so it was requested that a company be despatched to the area so
they could be seen by the masses. If this was not immediately possible it
was requested that Ah Hai should go and meet with the key figures of the
Resist Japanese Self-Defence Corps. Ah Hai agreed to do so.
At the meeting a bearded young man asked some questions: (1) You
are the Anti-Japanese Army? Why don't you come and let us see you? and,
(2) How many are there of you?
Ah Hai answered that the 2 Independent was in charge of the war
against Japan in Negri and its HQ was in Titi (in the Autumn of 1943,
2 Independent had moved to south Pahang). Stationed here were one company
at Sungai Rotan and another was at Limong. A company was
stationed at Pertang and Bahau and a platoon was at Tampin. In the state
were Armed People's Movement Forces of varying strengths and if you don't
believe me you can come and take a walk with me and have a look. In the
whole country there were 8 Independent Regiments and they were larger than
2 Independent which had 800 to 900 soldiers. The Regiments were made up
of fully armed as well as semi-armed personnel. In the State semi-armed
personnel were called Resist Japan Self Defence Corps. Other similar units
were called the Anti-Japanese Reserve. These forces totalled more than
10,000 persons.
The bearded one asked that arms be given so they could attack
Seremban right away
Ah Hai: All of you want to join the anti-Japanese Army and you
are very welcome. But attacking Seremban is not a matter of taking up
arms and acting with bravery and determination. One would be like a water
buffalo, charging bravely but without a plan. Each fighter needed technical
and battle training as well as political education in the Nine Points Programme,
discipline and Army style. Ah Hai proposed that those eager to join should
have training first in the People's Movement, attend courses on military
and political matters after which they would be considered for recruitment
in the Army
The bearded one asked: That will need how many days?
Ah Hai said about half a month, with one week taken up for military
training and one week for political studies
The bearded one said: The time is too long and will affect our
work
Ah Hai replied that a little delay did no harm. They should use
their spare time train in the Anti-Japanese Self Defence Corps. We have
to think long term and will take you into the Army once your studies
end and establish a new unit
The bearded one said, Good!
36 Lai Te again asks Ah Hai to attend a meeting
Ah Hai went on inspection from August to December 1944 reaching
the outskirts of Seremban, Pantai and Kg Nanais intending to call a meeting
of the State Committee to sum up the half year's work. H received
from Siao Chang a letter written by Ah Ting requesting that Ah Hai and
Siao Chang attend a Centre-South senior cadres meeting. Ah Hai then wrote
to inform District (State) Committee members that while he was away Liew
Yit Fun would be acting secretary with Shao Yang as deputy. They were to
continue the work so as to meet the new situation
In January 1945 Ah Hai left from the Seremban hills heading East
to Pertang. After walking seven days, then resting at Pertang for
three days, he crossed the wide river at Durian Tipus, a tributary
of Pahang River; another day and he reached the Orang Asli huts at Kg
Manchis. After a night's rest he headed for Bentong, passing the 29 milestone.
Another night passed, then he was finally with the 6 Independent
Members of 2 Independent who had been ordered to Pahang were eager
for news of their families The cadres Yeh Shou Ke, Tang Yin Shing, Oo
Shih Pu, Siao Yu Ju asked Ah Hai hundreds of questions about their families
and relatives. What about the attitude of the enemy towards the anti-Japanese
organisations and the masses? How was the consolidation and development
of the anti-Japanese organisations? They thought often of their homes,
relatives and old battle comrades and wondered when they would
be posted back. They were all home sick (something Siao Chang and Ma
Ting could not understand).
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Ah Hai told them not to worry and told
them that their relatives were ok and that anti Japanese sentiments
remained high. Although the Japanese did not relax in their suppression
of the resistance organisations these were still able to develop. The
internal and international situation was improving and the Negri comrades
stood shoulder to shoulder with them in the fight for victory.
That night they went back to their huts feeling happier
The next day at dawn Ah Hai, Siao Chang and Lau Han prepared for
the journey to Selangor. The comrades came to say good bye and when Ai
Ke shook hands with Ah Hai he said he hoped they would soon return to
Negri
The group was guided and guarded by the communications unit of
the 6 Independent led by the head of the Services department Lau
Wang (Wang Ching) along a new route (through the forest on the left of
the range along the Frazer's Hill route) It started from the Orang
Asli huts ( the fighter Ah Pin's home) up the hill and then entered a bamboo
forest of tall bamboo measuring 9 to 10 inches wide. The land was covered
with old leaves and with each step one sank 2 to 3 feet into the leaves
so one had to be careful. One had to hold tight to a bamboo stick and
walk upwards carefully step by step. When thirsty the services people
would draw water from the bamboo which yielded good and clear water . However
they warned us not to drink too much because the water caused difficulties
in passing water. We walked another two hours before we were free of the
bamboo forest
Although walking through the jungle was easier than negotiating
the bamboo forest, it had its drawbacks too. For example walking down
slopes was dangerous because they were slippery. Added to that it was
cloudy and it rained and we had to go down slowly, relying on stakes.
When it grew dark, we saw a hut with smoke coming out of it. We sent a
patrol to have a look. It turned out to be Liu Kwang, who had been posted
from West Pahang to be deputy commander of the 1 Independent. His bodyguards
were cooking rice in bamboo sections (lemang). Liu Kwang had travelled
from south Selangor through Negri via Titi's the "Peak" to enter
West Pahang to return to central Selangor when they met the enemy who
were attacking the South area. This forced them to travel from west Pahang
to Selangor
This being the case we boldly approached the house on stilts
which had probably been built by hunters in search of wild boar and elephants.
We shook hands and asked news of one another. But we were all
tired and it was very cold but none of us dared to have a wash. However,
our bodies were covered with dirt and we could not lie down so we were
forced to "clean up"and then sleep
The hut had only room for two or three persons and the rest had
to sleep below, on the ground lying on attap leaves. But the it was
so cold that sleep would not come We gathered leaves and made a bonfire
around which all sat to get warm
At dawn Liu Kwang and company took to the road. We twelve waited
for them to cover some distance before leaving.
Our route was via Serendah to Ulu Yam then from Kanching
to Batu Caves. Leaving the jungle we went past an old mine which had included
a "desert" of about 600 - 800 metres and walked towards Serendah village.
Lau Wang sent a patrol ahead for reconnaissance and signalled us to proceed
when it was safe. From the "desert" it was another 2 or 3 hours to the
forest then another hour and we were able to see the village. The advance
patrol reported that a troop from the 1 Independent was practising an
exercise in assault and defence and there was a "big shot" directing operations.
The "big shot" turned out to be the well-known and famous Comrade
Pei Nong who had been posted to be commander of the 1 Independent and
now called She Wei. When he heard we had come he was very warm in his
welcome, unlike Liu Loong who had a complex and was cold when meeting
us. Comrade Pei Nong had vegetables and chicken bought for our food and
ate with us, treating us with polite hospitality as guests. The
next day he pressed on us the need for rest and we could not say no
Although She Wei was courteous he did not keep us company for
long and early morning was away training his troop and then conducting
lectures on the lessons learnt.
We were with She Wei one day and two nights. He gave us a very
good impression: very active, a great host and very good with the lower
ranks though we had heard from Ah Tien of the 4 Independent's Security
and Reserve Department that he was bureaucratic. Chia Lei (Chen Yong who
had turned traitor after the September 1 incident but had returned to
us and then appointed by Lai Te the 4 Independent's political representative
then after the Japanese surrender appointed by Lai Teh to the Standing
Committee and then expelled later from the Party) also thought he had a
complex about being in the 4 Independent. It was a case of the ear
being deceived and the eyes seeing the truth. Ah Hai and Siao Chang thought
it was perhaps a case of Ah Tien and Chia Lei cliquishly excluding Pei Nong
whose posting cleared the way for Ah Tien to become the commander of the
4 Independent
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The next day She Wei again asked
us to rest a few days but we were in a hurry and he sent us off with guides
via Ulu Yam to Lau Yang's appointed contact point in the village of Kanching.
1952 She Wei had t.b. and was sent to China for treatment. After
treatment he attended the Marxist Leninist Institute where he studied
with Ah Hai and Siao Chang. Everyone considered Comrades She Wei (Ch'en
Ching) a good cadre.
We stayed at Lau Yang's appointed meeting place two or three days
and it was only after that that Lau Yang sent men to take us to an old
Orang Asli village. We were put up in an attap hut. An Orang
Asli called "Kiling Chai" (a courier) would send vegetables and
meat to us
The Orang Asli village had planted about 10 acres of rubber which
had grown to about a man's height. The women reared chicken
and goats while the men went out to work. They were different from the
Orang Asli of the deep jungle. They had developed from the collective life
to the capitalist way of living. This was the way the rest of them would
go, leap over the slave and feudal societies right into capitalist
society
Lau Yang turned up after two days. He said that Lai Te had originally
planned to meet in February or March but February had gone by and there
was still no news. He asked us to be patient. Meanwhile he would send
food every day and international news once a week. We asked that Lau Yang
to inform Lai Te that we three had arrived and that there was a lot of work
to do and to have a meeting as soon as possible so that we could return
Another month passed. In April Lau Yang again sent a message that
the meeting would be postponed and that Ah Hai, Siao Chang and Lau Han
should go home. We were informed that in May the Allies would drop arms
in Selangor, Negri and Pahang and that we should be prepared.
We were to prepare to clear the jungle and to clear and prepare 2 or
3 acres of flat space for the drops. We were also to create the
drop signals and troops to guard the drops.
We were glad to hear the news but our joy was dampened by the
failure of Lai Te to turn up. Especially Ah Hai and Siao Chang who had
last year obeyed the order to go to X Company and had wasted several
months, constantly in danger of being eliminated by the enemy at the
Kubu Bahar "bamboo factory" . Because of this, the two were unhappy with
the state of affairs which showed in Lau Han's bitter laugh. And when
he asked them, "What to do?" they could only say, "What is there to do
but to return!".#
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(To
be continued)
for Part 10 click on
http://thepenangfile.bravehost.com/feb-2007/histr51.htm
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