History must also be fair to non-Umno Malays

I must admit I have not read the controversial "guide book" on ethnic relations in depth yet. I have just flipped through a few pages that were highlighted by those who object to it. However, allow me to remind non-Umno Malay friends to also pay close attention to the book on those parts where non-Umno Malays are concerned such as the roles in history played by Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM).

Also, don't forget about organisations that were bloodily suppressed and difitnah in the wake of the anti-colonial war that began on 20 June 1948, like API and AWAS as well as Malay veterans in the Communist Party of Malaya such as Abdullah CD, Rashid Maidin, Ibrahim Chik, Abu Samah @ Sibar, Abdullah Sudin, Siti Norkiah Mahmud Baginda @ Minah, Kamarulzaman Teh and Mat Amin @ Rosli.

True history is such that when the original Umno was founded in May 1946, there were already three other earlier organisations that fought against British colonialism, namely the Communist Party of Malaya (1930), Kesatuan Melayu Muda (1939) and Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (1945). The slogan of original Umno was, until 1951, Hidup Melayu!, while Merdeka! belonged to Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya.

In any event, the original Umno founded in 1946 was declared illegal in 1988 and an Umno Baru was formed as a new party of which Onn Jaafar, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak and Tun Hussein Onn had never been its registered members. Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Hussein Onn opposed to Umno Baru till the end of their lives. Umno Baru is what it is nowadays known as, very misleadingly, Umno.

Merdeka history in new light

Alternative accounts of Malaya’s independence

A tale of two Malay communist memoirs

The fairer side of Malayan communism