Write History as It is
DIN MERICAN
On September 25, the mainstream media front paged the honors conferred on Temengong Kanang anak Langkas (above) a Sarawak Datukship. Also prominently featured is the award of the commando beret of VAT 69 on Apot Saad.
Kanang and Apot are indigenous bumiputeras, the former from Sarawak and the latter from Perak. Both honors are for bravery and gallantry in fighting the communists during the Emergency (1948-1960). They certainly deserved the honors as heroes of our country. No complaints about that.
The Criminal Defamation Charge Against Mat Sabu
But why weren’t these heroes honored much earlier? Why only now? Has this to do with Mat Sabu, Deputy President of PAS, who was charged for criminal defamation last Wednesday September 21. Is UMNO- BN making political mileage of history?The charge against Mat Sabu followed weeks of debate after he said that there were many other freedom fighters who have been totally forgotten.
Mat Sabu then drew our attention to Mat Indera who played a prominent role in the 1950 attack on the Bukit Kepong police station. This was immortalised in a movie played by the legendary actor-director Tan Sri Dr. Jins Shamsuddin. The Policemen were portrayed as heroes who fought against the communists who were portrayed as villains and traitors. Thus, Mat Indera, who was allegedly a communist cadre , was cast as a traitor. However, a book by the Johor government in 2004 named Mat Indera as an insurgent freedom fighter and celebrated him as a Johor hero. So, was Mat Indera a hero or a traitorous ruffian?
This stereotyping of Malaysians into heroes and villians shows our failure as a nation to accept historical facts and our lack of appreciation for humanistic contributions.
And the moment politicians get involved in historical discourses and debates, then intellectual dishonesty creeps in and history is distorted for political and other self serving ends.The truth of history becomes irrelevant. Winston Churchill once said : “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”
For this reason, I am grateful to my friend, lawyer Rosli Dahlan, who insisted that I should read the writings of Tunku Zain Al’Abidin Muhriz, founding president of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) in his book, Abiding Times.
It seems that Rosli is an ardent admirer of this young royalty whom he politely declared to me he would readily kiss this young Tunku’s hands despite their age difference. Having just read Tunku Zain Al’Abidin’s piece, Roaming Beyond the Fence (see link :http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/guest-columnists/43492-lets-reclaim-history-for-ourselves), I can now understand why Rosli is impressed with this young man’s intellectualism and maturity.
Yam Tuan Antah of Negri Sembilan
The intellectual honesty and capacity of Tunku Zain Al’Abidin (above) in evaluating history is revealed when he compared his ancestors, Yam Tuan Antah, and his great great grandfather, Tuanku Muhamad, whose son,Tuanku Abdul Rahman, became our first Yang Di Pertuan Agong (YDPA).
Yam Tuan Antah had waged war against the British in 1875 which invited the British retaliation by an artillery force which cannon-shot that destroyed Yam Tuan Antah’s camp. The British advanced to Seri Menanti where they burnt down the Istana. Subsequently, Yam Tuan Antah was recognised only as Yam Tuan of Seri Menanti, rather than of Negri Sembilan as a whole. Yam Tuan Antah is celebrated in the same breath with Datuk Maharaja Lela and Mat Salleh as valiant defenders of their race, religion and nation.
Reclaim History for Ourselves
Yet, his son, Tuanku Muhammad, enjoyed much better relations with the British. He was educated at the English High School in Malacca and even received compliments from the British Resident, Sir Frank Swettenham, who wrote that he was an “example of the best type of intelligent, straightforward Malay Raja”.
Thus, Tunku Zain’s piece raised a most pertinent question: “Clearly, my two ancestors employed different strategies in dealing with the British. Was one a hero and the other a traitor? No, they were merely individuals trying to abide by their adat while dealing with the exigencies of global British power…The only way to fix this is for us to reclaim history for ourselves. Politicians must be removed from the process of writing the curriculum, and professors granted the academic freedom to include controversial viewpoints……Most importantly, the entire basis of the education system urgently needs to change from the rote learning of acceptable “facts” to the equipping of young brains to appreciate and analyse different opinions.”
Isn’t this the same thing that Mat Sabu had said? So, why does Mat Sabu’s statement constitute criminal defamation? Did A-G Gani Patail not advise the government on this? Or is A-G Gani Patail again playing politics with the absolute powers vested in him as the Public Prosecutor to commit selective prosecution?
