KMM: The Young Malay Union (1938)
Dr Burhanuddin Al HelmiDr Burhanuddin, a colossal name in Malay left politics, was not a KMM member. KMM only contacted him a week after the fall of Singapore. Ibrahim Yaakub and I interviewed him before suggesting that the Japanese Military Administration employ him as Advisor on Malay Customs and Religion.
Dr Burhanuddin accepted the post graciously. Had he declined, KMM would have brought in Ustaz Abu Bakar Al Baqir, founder of the religious institute, Madrasah Maahad Il Ihya Assharif in Gunung Semanggul, Perak.Dr Burhanuddin worked in Singapore initially, but when the Japanese Military Administration for Sumatra and Malaya was incorporated, and its HQ moved to Taiping, Perak, so did Dr Burhanuddin.
We should commend Haniff bin Sulaiman, a faithful Taiping KMM member for introducing Dr Burhanuddin to the public in Perak through talks and religious sermons. That made it easy for the Malay Nationalist Party (MNP), the successor of KMM, to gain a foothold in Perak, when Dr Burhanuddin founded it in 1945.Dr Burhanuddin was a remarkable religious figure, who combined the logic of science and Islam most effectively.
Before World War II, he was a schoolteacher in Singapore and dabbled in politics from a distance. He had written many protest letters to the press on the Israeli Occupation of Palestine, and was once arrested and detained in a Police lock up. Although not a KMM member, he was very influenced by it.Ahmad BoestamamAccording to a statement given to me dated 12 November 1975, Ahmad Boestamam, another great name in Malay left politics, joined KMM a couple of months before the Japanese invasion.
He took over the post of Assistant Secretary from Abdullah Kamil, who had left Kuala Lumpur. Boestamam stated that although he was a member of the daily Majlis editorial board, led by Ibrahim Yaakub in Kuala Lumpur, he was never once invited by Ibrahim Yaakub to join KMM, although two other editorial board members (Abdul Samad Ahmad and Mohamad Salehuddin) were.
National List of KMM Members Whom I Knew :
Kuala Lumpur
Abdul Samad bin Ahmad, Majlis, Kuala Lumpur
Mohamad Salehuddin, Majlis, Kuala Lumpur
Ahmad Boestamam @ Abdullah Thani, Majlis, Kuala Lumpur
Mohd. Yassin bin Salleh, Malay schoolteacher, Kuala Lumpur
Hamzah bin Alang, businessman, Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur
Selangor
Abdul Rahman Tambi, clerk, Kampung Baru, Selangor
Mustaffa Yunus, barber, Kajang Selangor
Saidi Hashim, book store owner, Kajang, Selangor
Ahmad, Agricultural Department, Cheras, Selangor
Hashim bin Mat Dali, Pucung, Selangor
Ahmad bin Mohd. Amin, Agricultural Department, Selangor
Johar bin Kerong, Agricultural Department, Selangor
Rais bin Abdul Karim, Agricultural Department, Selangor
Abdul Rauf, Agricultural Department Selangor,
Hamzah Sanusi, Kuala Selangor
Perak
Tuan Haji Ariffin, Kuala Kangsar
Zainal Abidin bin Kassim, Technical School student, Kuala Lumpur (son of ‘Rich Man Kassim’ in Tapah Road,Perak)
Mohd. Nor bin Abdul Shukur, Ipoh
Mohd. Mustaffa bin Ali @ Majid, Ipoh
Aminuddin, Ipoh
Isa bin Sulaiman, Agricutural School graduate and Malay schoolteacher, Perak
Pak Cik Ahmad, self employed, Taiping
Haniff bin Sulaiman, insurance agent, Taiping
Mohd. Judin, Agricultural Department, Kuala Kangsar
Junid Mahmud, Malay school teacher, Tapah Road
Tuan Haji Mohd. Yusuf, Batu Gajah
Ahmad Shafik, Gunung Semanggul
Abdullah Che Dat or Abdullah C.D., Clifford English School, Kuala Kangsar (the youngest KMM member at 17)
Abdul Rahman Rahim
Mohd. Hanafiah Abdul Rahman
Pahang
Mohammad bin Baginda Besar, smallholder, Bentong
Yahaya bin Hussain, Agricultural Department (my brother)
Kamarulzaman bin Teh, Agricultural Department, Bentong
Negeri Sembilan
Jaafar SidekAchih bin Haji Masud
Thaharuddin Ahmad
Zubir Salam
Penang
Putih Badri bin Chek Mat, Al Mashoor schoolteacher
Abu Bakar Mohd Noor, Kelawai
Ustaz Abdul Majid
Kedah
Mohammad Ariff
Melaka
Mohd. Isa Mahmud
Ibrahim Endut
Abdul Hamid Abdul
Trengganu
Abdul Majid bin Haji Mohammad
Ibrahim Tahir
Wan Daud Ahmad (Datuk)
Johor
Haji Abdul Hamid
Fadzil Tahir
Ilias KarimMusa, Agricultural Department, Muar
Kelantan
Abdul Kadir Adabi, writer
Ibrahim Mustaffa, journalist
British Police Officer J. Birch, who once served in Bagan Serai, Perak was sent to arrest me in Taiping, but the Japanese military’s speedy advance forced Birch to retreat. He diverted to Teluk Anson (now Teluk Intan), hoping to arrest Raja Yahaya, a Police Officer absent without leave, but Birch was unlucky to be in the Japanese way. He was killed.
Translated by
Insun Mustapha
Edited by
Jomo K. S.
Publisher: Utusan Publications & Distributors Sdn Bhd
No. 1 & 3, Jalan 3/91A,
Taman Shamelin Perkasa, Cheras,
56100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-9285 6577
Foreign Distributor: Singapore University Press Pte Ltd
Price: RM50.00
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