Chin Peng – FORGIVE AND FORGET

By Utuh Paloi Banjar Blog

As human beings, it is never easy to erase the pain from memory but it does not take super human effort to forgive. After all, Islam as well as other religion and teachings encourage the faithfuls to be forgiving.

Sometime in August 1945, a village head in a remote settlement outside the sleepy town of Air Hitam was ‘persuaded’ to attend a meeting with PKM personnel in an unknown location. That was the last time he was seen by his family.

Earlier in the week, he was advised by the Chinese villagers to leave the village, albeit temporarily because there were rumours the communists were after him. Being a ‘Banjarese’ who migrated to Malaya in the early thirties, and having fought the Dutch colonialists in Kalimantan, Indonesia, he was adamant to stand his ground and overcome adversities, come what may. Little did he know that there were Malays and Banjarese in the communist camp.

Many ‘Banjarese’ of yesteryears were well known for their bravery as well as in depth spiritual knowledge and fighting skill. The exploits of ‘panglima’ Salih and Ijam in Muar/Batu Pahat and HJ Bakri and his men in Sungai Manik are testimonies of their saga.

Without the help of the Malays/Banjarese, the communists would not have been able to inflict injuries much less the premature demise of this village head.

That village head is naib Hassan bin Abu Bakar, the scribe’s grandfather.

Read more at: Chin Peng – FORGIVE AND FORGET