Communists celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri too

On 24 October, Malay/Muslim veterans of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) held their Hari Raya Open Houses in their kampung at Ban Chulabhorn 12 in southern Thailand's Sukhirin. Leading the fast-breaking prayer in the picture above is Abdullah C.D. (in black attire and songkok) who joined the Party in May 1945 in Perak's Lambor. Together with Chin Peng and the late Rashid Maidin (1917-2006), Abdullah C.D. signed the 1989 Peace Accords for and on behalf of the Party with the Governments of Malaysia and Thailand.

Merdeka history in new light

Abdullah CD - CPM's Malay front

Abdullah C.D's wife and also a veteran who joined the Party in Ipoh in 1940, Suriani (aka Eng Ming Ching @ Ah Ming) (center above with pink head scarf) is shown in the picture to be chit-chatting with other makcik-makcik sekampung who went to her house to send greetings.

Suriani, the resistance heroine

Suriani tortured by Kempetai

The charming 'firebrand'


Another veteran Abu Samah (left above), a former Umno Youth leader in Pahang who joined the Communist Party of Malaya in March 1948, is also shown in the picture to be welcoming other pakcik-pakcik sekampung visiting his and Makcik Minah's open house.

Komunis Melayu warisan Bahaman

Abu Samah - the ex-British child soldier

These lovely adik-adik, some of whom I know, must be pretty excited and eager to greet their makcik-makcik and pakcik-pakcik and minta maaf zahir batin from the orang-orang tua.

A tale of two Malay communist memoirs

The fairer side of Malayan communism


As a matter of fact, Abdullah C.D.(second from left above), Suriani Abdullah (left above) and Abu Samah (second from right above) had already performed Haj in Holy Mecca in the 1990s. On the right in the picture is Siti Norkiah @ Minah who is the wife of Abu Samah and herself an anti-colonial fighter and proud communist from Pahang.

Said Zahari: Read Chin Peng’s memoirs with open mind

PAS: Communist party helped secure Merdeka

In memory of Kamarulzaman Teh, freedom fighter

History of the Malay Left