PUTERA-AMCJA were the true Malayan independence fighters, not Umno

The United Malays National Organization or better known as Umno today, was actually not the initiators that led to the independence of Malaya. In the year 1946, when the British Military Administration (BMA) after regaining control of Malaya following the surrender of the Imperial Japan in aftermath of the Second World War, intended to establish a Malayan Union.

As the result of BMA's plan to form the Malayan Union in order to prolong the colonial status of Malaya, Umno came out in protest against the proposed Malayan Union state citing the new colonial system would further "erode the powers of the Malay people and the Rulers". This reason was Umno's mere claim.

When the British authorities disengaged their plans for the Malayan Union state following the mass protests by Umno, the then BMA then offered the Umno leaders the opportunity for Malayan independence in 1946, but the Umno leaders promptly responded to the British colonial government that they were not ready for handle an independent Malaya and one Umno leader even quoted, "...nak buat sebatang jarum pun tak pandai, nak merdeka?"

This is Umno's first betrayal of the Malayan independence.

Prior to Umno and its establishment, there were already a number of political parties that who were actively working on the ground seeking for an independent Malaya.

There were the coalition of political parties who came together under the acronym of PUTERA-AMCJA who had fought very hard to have an independent Malaya after Umno's rejection of the said offer of independence earlier.

PUTERA (Pusat Tenaga Rakyat) is a coalition of Malay based political parties consist of the following:

1. Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM), previously known as Parti Nasionalis Melayu,
2. Angkatan Pemuda Insaf (API),
3. Angkatan Wanita Sedar (AWAS),
4. Gerakan Angkatan Muda (Geram),
5. Barisan Tani SeMalaya (Batas),
6. Majlis Agama Tertinggi SeMalaya (Mata) or also known as Hizbul Muslimin.

AMCJA (All-Malayan Council of Joint Action) is a coalition of multiracial political parties and unions consist of the following:

1. Malayan Democratic Union (MDU),
2. Pan-Malayan Federation of Trade Unions,
3. Clerical Unions of Penang, Perak, Selangor and Melaka,
4. Malayan New Democratic Youth League,
5. Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Ex-Comrades Association,
6. Malayan Indian Congress (MIC),
7. General Labour Union,
8. Selangor Women's Federation,
9. Straits Chinese British Association,
10. Malayan Communist Party (MCP),
11. Selangor Indian Chamber of Commerce,
12. Associated Chinese Chamber of Commerce,
13. Malayan Peasants' Union.

After Umno's rejection of the British's offer of an independence Malaya, the coalition forces of PUTERA-AMCJA continue to pursue for the independence of our nation with negotiations after negotiations with the British colonial government, throughout the years from 1946 until 1948.

And in 1947 a draft People's Constitution was even put forward by the PUTERA-AMCJA coalition to the British colonial government for a consideration of an independent Malaya but it was rejected reasoning that the characteristics were"too leftist" and following the protest by Umno.

Looks like Umno had betrayed the Malayan independence for a second time by rejecting the proposed People's Constitution put forward by PUTERA-AMCJA in their efforts to seek for an independent Malaya.

And because of Umno's continuous betrayal of the Malayan independence and the further restricted orders imposed on both PUTERA-AMCJA's efforts to pursue the "Kemerdekaan Malaya" by the British colonial government, some top Malay leaders of the coalition, like Mat Indera, Rashid Maideen, Shamsiah Fakeh, Abdullah CD and the rest had decided to continue pursuing their fight for independence via arm struggle by joining force with MCP.

On Umno's repeated instigation later, the British authorities issued a decree of total ban on PUTERA-AMCJA coalition and most of its component parties in 1948 and had many of its political leaders arrested and imprisoned. The declaration of the Emergency Rule followed later on the same year on the pretext that "the MCP had already declared war on the Malayan government".

So, this is how Umno had twice betrayed the struggle for independence, first by rejecting the offer by the British citing their unpreparedness, then on the second time protesting the proposed People's Constitution forwarded by the other independent-minded political parties who were also seeking for the Malayan independence.

By Viktor Wong