Gone But Not Forgotten – Bukit Kepong’s Final Witness Dies

Jamilah Abu Bakar, the last survivor of the harrowing Bukit Kepong tragedy, has died at her home in Taman Skudai Kanan, Johor Bahru, on Monday morning (28 April).

She was 78 years old.

According to a report by New Straits Times, Jamilah was three years old during the deadly communist attack on Bukit Kepong police station on 23 February, 1950.

Her youngest child, 46-year-old Raja Zamzura Raja Buntat said her mother was showing signs of weakness over the past few days as she had lost her appetite.

“Mother had diabetes, but she had not been particularly ill these past few days. She had just been eating and drinking less. We noticed the changes, she was tired and weak last night, and then she passed away this morning.

“All of us siblings were by her side when she drew her final breath,” she said at the Bukit Aliff Muslim Cemetary yesterday.

Jamilah’s remains were laid to rest the Bukit Aliff Muslim Cemetary where her father, Constable Abu Bakar Daud, who died in September 1979, is also buried.

Abu Bakar was a marine policeman at the Bukit Kepong police station and was among those who were severely wounded during the incident.

Jamilah witnessed her family getting shot and killed by Communists

Jamilah was said to have witnessed the Communist attack that claimed the lives of her own mother, Fatimah Yaaba, and her younger brother Hussin.

According to Raja Zamzura, her mother was also shot in the arm.

She added that Fatimah and Hussin were also burned.

They were laid to rest at the Bukit Kepong war memorial.

Raja Zamzura added that her mother would be invited to Bukit Kepong every year for the Bukit Kepong commemoration ceremony.

“Mother kept photographs and would often recount the incident. Every year, the police would invite her to attend the ceremony,” she said.

Communist attack on the Bukit Kepong police station

The Bukit Kepong incident was a key event during the Malayan Emergency, a guerilla war between British colonial forces (and later the independent Malayan government) and communist insurgents in Malaya from 1948 to 1960.

In the early hours of 23 February, 1950, the remote police outpost was surrounded and attacked by communist insurgents.

The wooden station was located on the river banks of the Muar river, about 59km from Muar, Johor. Image: Facebook | Bukit Kepong 55K

Around 25 officers from the Federation of Malaya Police, mainly comprised of Malay policemen, made up the Bukit Kepong police station forces.

Meanwhile, an estimated 180 communist guerillas from the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) was on the attacking side.

Despite being heavily outnumbered, the police officers put up a strong and brave defense for several hours. The attackers tried to force the policement to surrender several times, without success.

Eventually, the building was set on fire, and many defenders were killed either during the battle, or after being overwhelmed.

Fourteen police officers and five auxiliary policemen, along with several of their family members who helped defend the station were killed.

The communists also suffered an unknown number of casualties, though it’s believed several insurgents were killed or wounded.

The Malayan Emergency

On 16 June, 1948, British Commonwealth forces (later the Malayan government) were at war with a communist insurgency led by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), who aimed to overthrow British colonial rule and establish a communist state in Malaya.

Muhammad Indera, also known as Mat Indera, leader of the MCP. Image: Facebook | Persatuan Bangsa Johor

The MCP were largely composed of ethnic Chinese guerillas and made up the armed wing of the MCP called the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA).

They used guerilla warfare, applying tactics like ambushes, sabotage, and assassinations. The British responded with counterinsurgency tactics like the Briggs Plan – relocating rural Chinese communities into “new villages” to cut communist guerillas off from local support.

Why did the Malayan emergency happen? Well, it was due to a mix of political, economic, and social tensions in post-World War II Malaya.

After the Japanese occupation (1942-1945) ended, the British returned to a war-torn and unstable Malaya. The economy, especially the rubber and tin industries, were in bad shape.

Workers faced poor conditions and rising prices, leading to strikes and unrest, often influenced by leftist or communist unions.

The MCP had gained popularity for resisting the Japanese during World War II through the Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) and after the war, they saw a chance to take power and reshape Malaya as a communist republic.

They then started organising strikes, protests, and assassinations of British officials and local opponents.

Police talking to an old Malayan for information on communist bandits in the area. Image: Bert Hardy, Wikimedia Commons

The British were keen to restore order and protect their economic interests, which were the rubber and tin industries as well as trade routes. In June 1948, after the murder of several European plantation managers, the British declared a state of emergency and banned the MCP.

In summary, the Malayan Emergency happened because the MCP tried to seize power amid the chaos of the post-war years, but the British and later Malayan governments responded with military and political strategies to crush the rebellion.

A movie titled “Bukit Kepong” chronicling the events of the conflict was released in 1981. It was produced and directed by veteran filmmaker Tan Sri Jins Shamsuddin, who portrayed Sergeant Jamil Mohd Shah, one of the officers involved in the Bukit Kepong tragedy.