WHEN Syed Husin Ali was arrested at home in the wee hours of December 7, 1974, he did not think it would take six years to see freedom again after his gruelling detention without trial.
What influences, friendships and environment made the humble associate professor from Universiti Malaya persevere in his aspirations for reform and the betterment of Malaysia in those difficult years?
Now 85, the deputy chairman of PKR’s advisory council, in an interview with The Vibes, reflects on seven decades of dramatic socialist struggle, student agitation and authoritarian repression – all ignored in the mainstream narratives of nation-building today.
This is Part 1 of the interview.
Winy Sekhar: When you were detained (1974-1980), and when you were a professor at Universiti Malaya, what caused the sudden need to detain a professor who was teaching at that time? What was your opinion at that time? What was the atmosphere like to cause your detention? We know in Singapore (about) Lee Kuan Yew, Operation Coldstore (1963), and everything that happened, but in Malaysia, among the government, what was happening then?
Syed Husin Ali: Well, in Singapore, of course Kuan Yew was dead set against the socialists who were getting strong at that time – Lim Chin Siong (trade union leader and People’s Action Party co-founder) and all that. And the University Socialist Club was quite close to these people and this group who were left-wing, and he (Lee) wouldn’t tolerate them. He saw only arresting them as the cure.
In Malaysia, at that time, too, it was affected by the mood in Singapore. And, the worst thing, of course, was that the socialists were getting strong. They were winning elections, although not many, yet they were winning.
And it so happened at that time, there were demonstrations over the Baling incident (1974). The hunger march by peasants who were protesting against the fall of the price of rubber, and the rise in the cost of living. Thousands of peasants gathered in Baling. In the afternoon, following the gathering, students at universities and other centres of higher learning took action to demonstrate.
(Then prime minister Tun Abdul) Razak (Hussein) did not tolerate this. In a sense, Razak was like Kuan Yew in his attitude towards criticism, and he took action against the students who demonstrated. At first, they arrested about 2,000 students from the mosque for gathering there, and then, they ended up keeping over 40 students and lecturers for 40 days, and then released most of them, leaving about half a dozen, including me, to be kept for six years under the ISA (Internal Security Act).
I think the actions they took were to silence the protest and criticisms – mostly justifiable criticisms against the government. Most of the actions were in favour of championing the cause of the poor. As you know, the psychology and ideology of these people (in power) were capitalistic, but also in favour of a small group of them in control of wealth and power. Both of which are important for them to stay on.
They were trying to get rid of the opposition because the opposition was undermining their power, and possibly, their wealth also. We wanted the poor to be championed. And because the condition of the poor is elevated, that would affect their position.
Until now, it is the same. In fact, in certain things, it has become worse. The way the government and government leaders are plundering the people, the nation and country – I think it is worse in proportion than in the past. Look at what (Datuk Seri) Najib (Razak) has done, and now, (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin (Yassin) is doing almost the same – buying people and keeping MPs in top GLC (government-linked company) positions. Very much so an institutionalised corruption.
Winy: Your career was at the top at the university when you were arrested.
Syed Husin: When I was arrested, I was an associate professor at (Universiti Malaya). Special Branch told me: “You are very stubborn. We have to demonstrate to your colleagues that if they want to be stubborn like you, they will be locked up like you.” They touted me as an example of what will happen to them.
Suppression of student movements
Winy: Coming back to today, is there a role at universities for students to protest? Or is it purely a centre of learning?
Syed Husin: The university should not only be a place for gathering knowledge. It should also be a place to train you to be active citizens, responsible citizens and leaders. Because of that, you have to be concerned and fight for the rights of the people. If it is just to learn or seek knowledge, nothing will change. It has to be active.
This was what most students were conscious about, especially when they were in Universiti Malaya in Singapore. Most students were conscious about their social obligations. And, one of the reasons for this was that we had very political and politicised students who formed political clubs, like the Socialist Club (1953-1971) especially, which (M.K.) Rajakumar (Petra Group chairman and CEO Datuk Dr Vinod Sekhar’s uncle, who passed away in 2008) was founder-member of, together with people like (Poh) Soo Kai. Although the first chairman was Wang Gangwu, who really was not that socialist – I think he just wanted to be there – the real movers of the left student movement were people like Soo Kai, (Lim) Hock Siew and Raja.
They were the ones who mobilised the students, who organised the student unions and influenced them, who organised the pan-Malayan student movements, mobilising and politicising them. That is why I think the pan-Malayan student movements were suppressed by the British government at that time.
The British saw them as a threat. That was why the British arrested some of the students at that time. People like Abdullah Majid, James Puthucheary were detained when they were students during the British times. They were accused of being communists.
Winy: When you were in detention, do you think it was instigated by the education minister (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) or home minister (Tun Muhammad Ghazali Shafie)?
Syed Husin: In Malaysia, the minister of education at that time was Dr Mahathir, and Dr Mahathir was dead set against active students. And in fact, this is the negative role of Ungku (Abdul) Aziz (Ungku Abdul Hamid), the vice chancellor (of Universiti Malaya). They collaborated to suppress lecturers and students. That is why when I was detained, Ungku Aziz, when he went to Taiping, he didn’t want to visit me when others came and visited. I think he felt guilty.
In fact, the night before the morning I was arrested, Razak appeared on national TV with a speech saying that “we are going to take strong action against students and lecturers who have been demonstrating” and all that. I was telling my wife: “That is a warning, and maybe, I will get arrested.”
And true enough, in the morning, I was arrested. The man who was running the show at that time was Razak, and in that sense, he had that authoritarian kind of tendency. Although when he was a student in England, he was a member of the Labour Party, like Kuan Yew (who collected intelligence for Japanese occupiers).
Motivation towards political life
Winy: When you were an associate professor, did you ever think that you wanted to become a politician or start a political party?
Syed Husin: Before I was detained, I had already been involved in politics. Even when I was in Singapore in 1958, in my honours year at the university, I had already become a member of Parti Rakyat. As students, we took a trip to KL from Singapore and met three persons – the most important people with the skills to be nationalists – Ahmad Boestamam, Ishak Haji Muhammad (Pak Sako) and Dr Burhanuddin (al-Helmi).
We met them, and we just chatted for one hour as they only had an hour. The thing that I remember very much was them saying: “Now, you all are students, and as students, we must remember that the fight for independence is not over. We still have not gotten full independence, and we must continue fighting for that. Secondly, you must always be concerned for the welfare of the suppressed people.” And I keep on remembering that all the time, and that was the inspiration for me to enter politics.
When I was detained, I was already holding office in Parti Rakyat. In fact, another reason for their detaining me was my political activities. Because even earlier on, even before I became a lecturer, there was a big arrest and confrontation. Aziz Ishak, the minister of agriculture at that time (1955-1963), a good friend of mine, he told me that my name had gone up to the cabinet as one of those to be arrested, and that he managed to persuade them that I was not as dangerous as they thought. Later, he himself got arrested because of the Confrontation (1963-1966), and then followed by me being arrested (December 1974) following the Baling incident.
Winy: It sounds as though it was all politically motivated. Could you take legal action against the government? And when you came out, did you get your university position back?
Syed Husin: It was all politically motivated. I was advised to take legal action to get me out of detention. You can’t really sue them for damage and for whatever it is. I was very happy that at that time, we had good members of the (Higher Education Advisory) Council . The council was an elected council, and Rajen (M.K. Rajakumar) was in the council, Syed Al Hadi was the chair, and they were supportive of me.
In fact, when I was detained, Ungku Aziz wanted me to be dismissed, but they said, “No, there is no reason why he should be dismissed when he is still supervising PhD and MA students while he is in detention”, which I was doing. They managed to keep the job for me, and when I was released, they immediately offered me – thanks to at least three people: Al Hadi, (Tan) Chee Khoon and Rajen. They were very influential people in the council.
They said I was the link between the communists and people like Rajakumar and Dr DMahathir. They wanted to arrest Dr Mahathir also. Ghazali Shafie thought Dr Mahathir was a threat to his ascendence. They kept on telling me: “Do you know your good friend Rajakumar is a communist and you’re associated with him?” I said: “No, he is not a communist. He is a nationalist and a socialist, but not a communist. I know for certain.” But they insisted he was. The funny part of it was that they said: “We have arrested Chinese, we have arrested Malay, and we are looking for an Indian now. Can you give us a name?”
Now, of course, they retain power by buying up people and trying to get people to court. Those who have made speeches or attended functions where they utter things that are anti-government or they consider to be seditious, they try to take action against – even if they had done it one year or two years or three years ago. – The Vibes, January 2, 2021
* Read Part 2: Leaving a legacy of sacrifice and service, tomorrow
Datin Dr Winy Sekhar is chairman of the Vinod Sekhar Foundation
