“Parang Panjang Group” in Mukim Sungai Manik, Perak : a Historiography Mohamed Ali Haniffa, Zulhilmi Paidi, Nor Azlah Sham Rambely
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE) ISSN: 2278-3075, Volume-8 Issue-7S2, May 2019 “Parang Panjang Group” in Mukim Sungai Manik, Perak : A Historiography Mohamed Ali Haniffa, Zulhilmi Paidi, Nor Azlah Sham Rambely religious leaders and local as well as manifests jihad and Abstract : The article put forth about the survival of the Malays sabilillah in defending the lives and survival of the Malays in Mukim Sungai Manik, Perak following communist atrocities in when mistreated by the Japanese and the communist. Malaya. The effect of the Japanese military administration in Malaya has been granting to communist injustice in particular II. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES during the process of legitimizing their power. The Malays who were mistreated by the communist formed “ ParangPanjang The objective of this study is to examine the effects of the Group” or a group of peoples using long machete as their weapon Japanese occupation which had played both ends against the and began to rely on scholars, religious leaders and local as well as middle and dampen the racial relationship in Malaya manifests jihad and sabilillah. Sungai Manik Parang Panjang following the emergence of communist tyranny. The British group with their practice of salat were responsible for life and survival when killed and mistreated by Japanese and communist colonisation and the Japanese occupation has led to a forces. Survival of the Malays in Mukim of Sungai Manik, Perak prolonged conflict especially between the Malays and the gave inspiration to the Malay community in the entire homeland Chinese especially after the withdrawal of the Japanese troops. for defending life, race and religion, during which Malaya was The situation became worse when the British and the Japanese threatened by the communists. This study uses oral sources and had implemented a policy of prejudices and biased between library research methods, involving the collection of documents and the Malays, Chinese and Indians. This has led to the feelings files. The study found that the struggle of the Malays against the of unfavourable preconceived ideas. The British and the communist tyranny has triggered nationalism and motivation Japanese administrative policies that acted unfairly to all towards the liberation of the country. ethnicities in Malayawere increasingly tenuous due to the Keywords: Parang Panjang Group, Bintang Tiga, Clerics communist tyranny which took over the government after the (Ulama), Sabilillah Japanese surrendered. Communist tyranny in Malaya had caused the Malays to shift reliance on the religious groups. I. INTRODUCTION The immediate impact was the emergence of the “Parang Panjang Group” in Mukim Sungai Manik aimed at Malaysia is characterised through a plural society formed by maintaining the lives and survival of the nation. In the most a multiracial population. Inter-racial harmony and related desperate situation, the Malays also practiced martial arts issues are important issues in Malaysian history. This namely “silat” and the “Selempang Merah or the “Red relationship were also characterised by demographic factors, SlingScarf” in retaliating communist tyranny. British colonisationand Japanese occupation, communism and Malaya moved towards self-governance. Colonisation had III. METHODOLOGY given different implications and in turn brought new dimension in forming racial relations in Malaysia. This article The study uses historical approaches to see the efforts of the will focus on the survival of the Malays in retaliation towards Malays in defending their lives and survival as Malaya was communist tyranny in Mulim Sungai Manik, Perak. threatened by the Japanese and the communist. The Japanese Furthermore this article will also discuss the emergence of the government in Malaya has sparked tensions between the “Parang Panjang Group”or a group of peoples using long Malays and the Chinese. The situation became more machete as their weapon and began to rely on scholars, complicated as the communists were crushed by the Malays following racial prejudice that had been triggered by the Japanese army. However, this article only analysed the war of “Parang Panjang Group” that erupted in the Sungai Manik, Perak as a result of communist atrocities. This study uses library research methods, involving documents and files. To get a clear picture, oral sources have been used to give the Revised Manuscript Received on May 28, 2019. exact dimensions of storytelling. Mohamed Ali Haniffa, School of Languages, Civilisation and Philosophy, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010 Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia. Zulhilmi Paidi, School of Languages, Civilisation and Philosophy, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010 Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia. Nor Azlah Sham Rambely, School of Languages, Civilisation and Philosophy, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010 Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia. Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering Retrieval Number: G10620587S219/19©BEIESP 359 & Sciences Publication “Parang Panjang Group” in Mukim Sungai Manik, Perak : A Historiography IV. LITERATURE REVIEW and Red Sling Scarf Army Movement in Muar and Batu Pahat District History” provided further information on the There were many early works and accounts conducted by formation of the Red Sling Scarf Army (Tentera Selendang scholarsregarding the colonial policy which had spawned Merah) resulted from the communist tyranny in Johore racial tensions in Malaya. Among the renowned preliminary especially in Batu Pahat and Muar. Hairi gave a glimpse study was conducted by Kenelm O.L. Burridge in Batu Pahat, history of the Malay-Chinese fights that had taken place in Johore. Burridge's writing titled “Racial Relations in Johore” Muar and Batu Pahat districts. Furthermore, Hairi also had contributed in giving a reflection on the patterns of the asserted that there were three major goals that led to the local life that ultimately lead to the beginning of racial tension establishment of the Red Sling Scarf Army. Among the goals between the Malays and the Chinese. Burridge also provided of its establishment was to defend the honour of Islam and the important information on the relationship between the Malay mosque as their place of worship which was badly degraded and the Chinese in Batu Pahat, Johore following the spread of and destroyed by communist’scrimes and cruelty.They arised communism in Malaya. Furthermore, Burridge touched on the against the atrocities in order to protect the rights, dignity, cruelty committed by the communists in the Malay settlement. rights and property of Muslims. However, his study was only Burridge's study was very significant for ethnic studies as it limited in Johor and at the same time lacked of information on can provide an early reflection on the pattern of community the sources used in his account (Hairi Abdullah, No., 3/4, life in Malaya during the Second World War. However, the 1973/4, 1974/5). study was limited only in the Batu Pahat area and did not In addition,a Malay novelist, Zaharah Nawawi’s include some other locations that ignited the Malay-Chinese account“Panglima Salleh Slempang Merah” provided an fight (Kenelm Burridge, Vol. II, No. 2, May 1951: 157) illustration of tormented life under the atrocities of the On the other hand, Cheah Boon Kheng’s studywas more Japanese occupation in Malaya. This historical novel focus on racial conflict that had led to the Malay-Chinese discussed thoroughly about the struggle of the Malays to fights between 1945-1946. His account proved that the defend the survival of their nation.This had happened Malays had received communist’sthreat and atrocitiesonce especially during the “power vaccum” resulted by the they did not supported their cause. Cheah Boon Kheng in his Japanese withdrawal from Malaya which was manipulated by writing was not merely described the Malay-Chinese fights, the communist. Zaharah’s work provided an interesting but rather reflects the time period as a stage of Islamic revival. overview pertaining to the survival of Panglima Salleh This wasdue to the Chinese communist-ideology that began to Slempang Merah or known as Kiai Haji Salleh in Batu Pahat, interfere with matters involving Islam, the religion of the Johor. Zaharah has given an interesting picture and narration Malays. Cheah Boon Kheng also insisted that the struggle of of Kiai Haji Salleh's efforts in uniting one group of Malays the Malays had widely combined the principles of sabilillah or that held same faith, belief and goal in defending their jihad, the struggle on the cause of Allah in Islam together with religion, Islam. The group has finally played a role in Malay martial arts, the “silat”. (Cheah Boon Kheng, Volume defending the lives and survival of the Malays in Batu Pahat, 12, No. 1, 19) Johor following communist tyranny. This novel has a great Besides that, Cheah Boon Kheng’s “Red Star Over Malaya, influence in describing the struggle of Kiai Haji Salleh bin Resistance and Social Conflict During and After The Japanese Abdul Karim in Johor in the districts of Muar and Batu Pahat Occupation of Malaya, 1941-1946”was also important account (Zaharah Nawawi, 1995: VII). and the basic material to be scrutinized in understanding and discussing the topic of racial relations in Malaya. This account V. COLONISATION AND COMMUNIST had been written and divided into two particular parts. The ATROCITIES first section discussed the beginning of tension between the Malays and the Chinese in Malaya. While in the second part Basically, the British colonisation has led to the unfairness discussedin detail the “ power vacum in Malaya ” and its distribution of economic resources. The policy to optimize consequences resulted from the Japanese troops withdrawal wealth in Malaya has led to the influx of Chinese and Indian from Malaya. Cheah Boon Khengstressed on several factors immigrants to Malaya uncontrollably. The British was later that caused and triggered Malay and Chinese racial conflict in gave the Chinese permission to open agricultural areas to meet several Malay states. Among them were the introduction of the needs of foodstuff due to the shortages caused by the various taxes by Malayan People Anti Japanese Army Second World War.