Bukit Kepong ‘battle’: NGOs back Mat Sabu

Deputy IGP criticised for practising double standard in carrying out police investigation of the PAS deputy president.

KUALA LUMPUR: Several NGOs today criticised Deputy Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar for practising “double standard” over the controversy surrounding PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu’s remarks on the Bukit Kepong incident.

Last week, Mohamad Sabu, also popularly known as Mat Sabu, criticised Utusan Malaysia over its report which suggested that he allegedly praised the communist insurgents who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station during the Emergency on Feb 23, 1950 as heroes.

During a political rally in Tasek Gelugor on Aug 21, Mat Sabu allegedly said that “nearing Merdeka, the Bukit Kepong clip will be aired”.

“In Bukit Kepong, the police were British policemen. Those who attacked Bukit Kepong were the true freedom fighters. Their leader was Mat Indera (Muhammad Indera).”

Later, Khalid confirmed that police will investigate Mat Sabu after receiving 49 police reports nationwide regarding his alleged statement, and might charge him under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
Angkatan Warga Aman Malaysia (WargaAMAN), representing 20 major Indian NGOs, came to the defence of Mat Sabu saying that people will lost their trust in the police for clearly discriminating against the Pakatan Rakyat leader.

“We are not against the police decision, but why didn’t the police take similar action against Utusan Malaysia, Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali and Senator Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor for their racial statements?” WargaAMAN secretary-general S Barathidasan asked.

He said that WargaAMAN itself had lodged numerous reports against Utusan Malaysia and Ibrahim for stoking racial tension, but till today the police did not carry out a single investigation.

He added that the reputation of the police will be damaged if they continued to show favoritism to the Barisan Nasional.

Barathidasan also fully supports the views of Mat Sabu as “substantively correct”.
“The Bukit Kepong incident is the best example of Malaysians being ‘blind to history’ or to the spin of the Umno-led government.”

The incident took place seven years before independence.

“The 17 policemen and family members who died in the attack had served the British government and not the interest of the people in Malaya,” he added.

He also said that during the Japanese occupation, the British colony supplied weapons to the Malaya Communist Party (MCP) in the fight against the Japanese.

“But, later the communists withdrew their support from the British after the government refused to talk to them,” he said, adding that Mat Indera were among the few Malay heroes who fought both the Japanese and British rulers.

Mat Sabu’s view on Mat Indera is therefore correct, he said.