THE murder of A.E. Walker in Elphin Estate, Sungai Siput, Perak on June 16, 1948, changed the political landscape of Malaya.
The killings of another two European planters soon after culminated in the declaration of the Emergency in Perak on June 18 and subsequently on June 23 in the entire country. It was imposed by British high commissioner Sir Edward Gent.
As the years went by, memories of the tumultuous times of the Malayan Emergency grew dimmer except perhaps in the minds of the older generation.
But it is important that the Emergency, which began 72 years ago this month, should not be forgotten. It represents one of the most important events in Malayan and Malaysian history.
The Emergency was the name given by the British to the armed uprising of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) from 1948 to 1960.
The CPM aimed to overthow the government and establish the Communist People's Democratic Republic of Malaya.
The Emergency was a bloody, internecine war. The British colonial government called it an "Emergency" and not "war" so that London commercial insurance rates, on which Malayan commerce and industry relied upon, would not be adversely affected. But it was nothing less than an outright war.
The Emergency affected the country as the atrocities committed by the bandits (later called communist terrorists) were enormous.
The economy was in tatters, people were killed and infrastructure damaged. Parts of the country were placed under frequent curfew, buses and lorries were ambushed and burnt and the mail train between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur was often attacked and derailed.
Coming so soon after the end of World War 2 and the Japanese Occupation, the Emergency shook the country to its foundations.
During this period, military action was carried out by the Malayan forces and police together with Commonwealth forces from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Kenya, Nyasaland (Malawi), Uganda and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). Gurkha units under the British Command were also mobilised. The sacrifices made by all these people, including civilians, were huge.
There were several factors contributing to the defeat of militant communism in Malaya, including the fact that the country was never placed under martial law and the civil government ran the show.
Director of Operations, General Sir Harold Briggs, in his famous "Briggs Plan" saw the need to break the connection between the communists and supporters in the countryside.
This culminated in the establishment of new villages where the majority of the Chinese were resettled.
The arrival of Briggs' successor, General Sir Gerald Templer, brought a fresh approach to the campaign to defeat the communists. He adopted the "hearts and minds" campaign which ultimately gained the support of the people.
The part played by political leaders of the period also contributed to the defeat of militant communism as the country took the road to nationhood and the cry for Merdeka began to take root.
In an interview with the BBC in the documentary titled Jungle Green Khaki Brown aired on TV3 during the 50th anniversary of independence, Templer said, "if Malaya can defeat militant communism, then independence can be considered".
Though the Emergency officially ended on July 31, 1960, the insurrection continued. It only ended when peace was signed between the government of Malaysia and the CPM to "terminate hostilities" on Dec 2, 1986 at the Lee Garden Hotel in Hatyai, Thailand.
It is important to note the peace agreement did not state the communists surrendered or capitulated.
The only remembrance of this day is held on a beautifully maintained cemetery called God's Little Acre in Batu Gajah, Perak. This ceremony is held on the second Saturday of June each year where veterans from the UK and Commonwealth countries gather to pay their respects to the fallen. They include planters, miners and their descendants.
One has only to see how Anzac Day is celebrated in Australia, New Zealand and in other Commonwealth countries. This is to honour the soldiers who fought the Ottoman Turks at Gallipoli in World War I in 1915.
Another date that is being remembered by the allies in World War 2 is June 6, 1944 — D-Day.
The authorities should think about putting the start of the Emergency in the annals of our history by commemorating this date on a scale befitting its impact on the country's road to Merdeka as fifth prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said in his foreword to the book The Malayan Emergency Revisited 1948-1960: "This episode still has relevance for us today, as we see terrorism being waged in many parts of the globe. We must assure the people violence can never be justified and that terror has no place in the world."
* The writer is former chairman of Media Prima Bhd