History
The jungle war
by Commander Ah Hai
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History
The jungle war by Commander Ah Hai |
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The Jungle War (Part 2) In chapter three of these memoirs of the guerrilla fight against the Japanese invader we learn how the the few communists in Negri began the armed resistance to the Japanese army. In chapter four the guerrillas learn that leaders must not leave their posts in battle. In chapter five the guerrillas are armed with swords and spears. Chapter six describes the visit of the "Selangor Company" 3. Negri's anti-Japanese guerilla war is born WHEN THE JAPANESE FASCIST ARMY invaded Malaya on December 8, 1941 we called on the people to unite, arm and fight the invader. The response was good and the Negri Resist Japan Guerilla Force was born. The Titi District Committee took charge of Command headquarters with Ah Hai, the Titi district and area secretary, as commander. The area organisational secretary, Huang Ai Ping, was head of the political department. Intelligence was headed by the propaganda department head, Ye Ai Ke. Communications was in the charge of Xiao Ban Ch'iao, a committee member. Committee members Lin Zhong Mu, Zhong Guang, Si Ke, Kun Xiang, Ri Sheng were in charge of mass work, which meant looking after grain supplies, medicine, transport and refugee work as well as other tasks. Two bases were set up. One was along the Eelonglong (a small village) and the "Peak" forest belt with Zhong Guang, Zhong Mu, Ri Sheng and Kun Xiang in charge. Ri Sheng was commander with Sung Kun Xiang as political committee member (a term from Lo Rui Qing's "Political Work in the Army," where it is stated that the post of political committee member had been establisged by the Army). Zhong Guang and Zhong Mu were in charge of mass work and grain supplies, medicine and medical work, intelligence, transport and refugees. The second base was along Sungai Rotan, the "Wharf," and the jungle belt next door. In charge were Huang Ai Ping, Ye Ai Ke, Si Ke, Ban Qiao, Lo Dun Peng, and Chen Wen Guang. Lo Dun Peng was commander with Chen Wen Guang as deputy. Huang Ai Ping was the political committee member as well as in charge of military affairs. Ye Ai Ke, Si Ke and Ban Qiao were in charge of mass work. |
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Pertang Resist Japan Alliance branch recruited guerillas. Among the first
guerillas, who numbered about 100, were Guo Qing, He You, Wei Nan, Yao
Nan, Yue Nge (a woman guerilla), Xiao Fa, Yang Kai, Zhang Shen, Ah Qing,
Huang Hua, Ah Tie, Zhi Ming, the Ah Sui's - husband and wife, Ah Pau, and
Ah Kuei. Only a platoon was set up because we were short of guns. They were
led by Alliance branch leaders who also did mass work as well as protect
the refugee centre. After the setting up of the Kuala Pilah Resistance Alliance recruiting was done for the guerilla war and the boys and girls who joined up numbered in their hundreds. Among them were cadres Yan Shau Ji, Xiao Yang Ling, Ah Li, Deng Xin, Ah Qii, Bai Mao Ai, and Ah Feng. They armed the guerillas with guns and ammunition seized from small police stations. A command post was set up with Chen Qun as leader. |
| 4 Leaders must remain at their posts. In February 1942, an activist in the Seremban area, who was later killed when a tree fell on us ( the writer fortunately escaping with only some injuries), came to Titi to report that the British had left behind a wagon-load of rifles, money and opium at the railway station. The public had rushed to the station and grabbed first the money, then the opium, then the rifles and ammunition The Japanese heard about this and demanded the rifles, with the threat of the cutting off of heads. But the people threw the guns into the mining pool and asked us to get them Three basic cadres, Xiao Ke, Xiao Han Soon, and Chen Min Zhang were ordered to Desa Sikamat and Rasah to contact the young men who had hidden the guns. However, some had been caught by the Japanese and those who had escaped could not be traced. Xiao Ke and the others organised some young people into a guerilla unit with some guns. But because the three were not experienced, the force lacked strong leadership and was scattered by enemy action. The three cadres also died in action Another wagon-load of guns was discovered in the outskirts but there was no guerrilla contact and they were never picked up. . Had Ah San and Ah Tie of the State Committee not left for Titi the guns would have been taken over by the Resistance. If Liew Yit Fun had not left Tampin, we might taken over the guns at the railway station. The situation in Negri would have been very different. Experience has taught us that, in a crisis, leaders must not leave their posts 5 Swords and spears In Titi, we were now one thousand strong, without counting those in the Resistance Alliance and those in the Self-Defence Working Groups One thousand guerrillas needed guns and food |
| Ah Ning (Note 1) of the
Central Standing Committee had said at an emergency meeting in Negri that
the British army was sending arms. Comrade Ah Fook had, before he left
for Singapore, told Ah Hai that the arms would be sent in 10 days. Ten
days had gone by without a sign Ah Hai called a meeting of cadres of the Resistance to discuss the matter. It was decided to step up preparation of swords and spears, to collect wild boar hunting guns and to seize guns and ammunition from police stations, to remove grain stored by the British at the Seremban railway station, to appeal to the top rice merchants to supply rice to the guerrillas, to seek donations of medicine from the Jelebu Hospital and from medical shops in Seremban, Jelebu, Titi, and Pertang. Tang Yun Xing, Xiao Ro Wang, Xiao Yu Ru, Li An, Li Ren Xiang, Lu Zhao and Chai Tie Feng (Note 2) were sent out to collect hunting guns with promises that the guns would be returned after the war. Ten guns were collected The chief of Jelebu (the Undang of Kongkoi), who was regarded by Li Ren Xiang as an adopted father, gave the leadership his .38 revolver Altogether 30 guns were collected, a pitiful number for a thousand men. Some cadres decided to raid police stations. Just when this was being discussed the Jelebu police moved some arms to Sungei Rotan in readiness to throw them into the mining pool. They refused to give us the guns so we mounted a raid after the special police had left and seized 300 rifles and nearly 10,000 rounds of ammunition. Our joy was dampened by the 100 guns having been damaged by the police. We guessed that the police had wanted to give us the guns, hence the manoeuver and the damage for fear reprisals from their Japanese bosses Over where Chen Qun was the situation was the same as in Jelebu; a shortage of guns; 300 with only a few guns. Chen Qun raided police stations but seized only a few guns. We decided to reduce the number of guerillas and persuade comrades to return to their villages and take part in the self-defence activities of the Resistance Alliance with swords and spears as weapons. 6 The "Selangor Company" visits Matters became more urgent when the Japanese bandits entered Perak. On January 12, 1942, Comrade Liu Shi from Selangor District (Note 3) led a group of 80 cadres and anti-Japanese activists to Titi. Among them were Li Ming Xing (Note 4) and area cadre Lo Qin (Note 5), Liu Qin Zhou (Note 6), Hu Li Qun (Note 7), Ah Fng, a woman cadre (Note 8), and two women activists, Ah Zhen (Note 9) and Guang Mei Lan (Note 10), and Cai Tie Feng. Liu Shi handed Ah Hai a letter of introduction from Comrade Ah Fook. The letter said that Liu Shi and others were on their way to Singapore but communications had been cut and that they would be staying with Ah Hai. The date of the letter was January 11. We welcomed them at Sungei Rotan's Chung Ying School and arranged for them to stay with the people in the area. When the Japanese fascist troops reached Kuala Lumpur, Liu Shi asked that he be allowed to lead his troops to the temporary guerrilla camp at the "Peak" (at that time our troops were in the villages, leaving at the camp Tang Yun Xing, Xiao Ro Sheng, Xiao Yu Ru, Miao Siew, Lin Guan Ying, |
| a woman guerrilla,
a total of 10 camp builders and some dulang washers, making 20 in
all). Ah Hai gave him introductory letters to Zhong Mu and Zhong Gwang at
No 1 Base. Zhong Mu would then lead him to the "Peak" to meet Comrade
Tang Yun Xing The "Selangor Company" suffered from the cold and winds at the "Peak" and some fell ill and had to be guided by Liu Shi back to Ah Hai Ah Hai arranged for them to be at No 2 Base at the "Wharf" (at Jelebu) and arranged for Li An, a committee member of the Resistance Alliance, to liaise with them. On instructions of the State Committee, Li An placed them with local families and whenever possible looked after their safety and needs (including medical).# Go to the top Note 1 Ah Ning. Turned traitor after his arrest in April 1942. He was a member of the Central Standing Committee and head of organisation Note 2 Chai Tie Feng. A Perak cadre who drifted to Selangor. He surrendered during the war against Britain and became a fierce counter-revolutionary Note 3 Liu Shi, also Liao Guan Tien. In 1942 he died of a serious illness. Note 4 Li Ming Xing. Killed in the March 18 Massacre Note 5 Lo Qin also Lo Qiu Ping. Political officer of the 11 Detachment fighting the British. He was killed when surrounded by the enemy Note 6 Liu Qin Zhou. Died of a seriously illness during the fight against Britain. Note 7 Hu Li Qun. Secretary of the Selangor Party office after the Japanese surrender Note 8 Ah Fang also Chen Feng. Banished to China when the war against Britain started. In 1968 she joined Musa Ahmad in anti-Party activities and left the Party Note 9 Ah Zhen also Chen Ye Hua. Younger sister of Chen Min Wen and cousin of Chen Ri Sheng and Chen Meng Tang. Lost contact with the Party when the war against Britain started and went to China where she joined the guerrillas in Dong Jiang Note 10 Guang Mei Lan. Soprano of the chorus who changed when arrested by the Japanese (To be continued) from The War in the South - the story of Negri Sembilan's guerrillas by Shan Ru -hong (Internet edition) First published 2003 Go to the top Part 1 |
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| ______ INDEX Point to the article that you want to read, and CLICK Index page Book review The captive mind Chinese words in Malay Food guide Hen or rooster? Letter from Pulau Tikus A people's constitution (2) Poh Choo's wedding (9) The war in the jungle(2) |
| ____________________ The Penang File Issue 43 |