Waging an Unwinnable War: The Communist Insurgency in Malaysia (1948–1989)

By Lim Cheng Leng and Khor Eng Lee

Chairman Mao Tse-tung declared: "Every Communist must grasp the truth, 'Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun'..."

Mao's dictum provided the guiding principle for the protracted armed struggle of the Communist Party of Malaya/Malaysia over a 40-year period, from the start of its guerrilla war in mid-1948 to the signing of the peace agreement to conclude the futile conflict in early December 1989.

Although the CPM saw its contention for power as one continuous and non-stop campaign, the Government side recorded the Communist insurgency as Emergency I (1948-60), punctuated by a somewhat indetermnate interval, and then followed by "undeclared" Emergency II (1968-80).

Emergency I ended in abject failure for the Communists. For the winning side, the unprecedented success in counter-insurgency wasthen described as "the only true complete victory over communist insurgency won by a former colonial power (Britain) and a newly emergent nation (Malaya) since 1945 (after World War II).

While the first-round insurrection was reportedly initiated by a directive from Moscow, the second round was planned and directed as well as financed in Peking.

Following Mao's demse in September 1976, the new paramount ruler in China Deng Xiaoping consigned the banner of revolution to history. It spelled the end of the Commuunist Revolution in Malaya/Malaysia.

Rather than a narrative, this book offers an analytical study of the unwinnable war waged by Malayan/Malaysian disciples of the great revolutionary genius and grandmaster Mao Tse-tung.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Oct 25, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524518639

Lim Cheng Leng

Lim Cheng Leng joined the Federation of Malaya Police Force in 1949 at the height of the Communist insurgency. Lim grew up with the nation’s top intelligence agency (special branch) and was a very successful counterinsurgent, bestowed with the British high commissioner’s commendation in early 1953 at the time of the late Sir Gerald Templer. Lim transferred his Malayan experience and expertise in a short stint in Sarawak (1970–1971) and played a key role in the anticommunist campaign that dealt crushing blows against the PGRS and PARAKU forces of the North Kalimantan Communist Party prior to the establishment of the RASCOM (Rajang Security Command) in March 1972 to handle the serious but already fading threat in Sibu, Third Division, Sarawak. Lim earned his promotion to head the SB Psychological Warfare desk in 1975 until his retirement in July 1984. He worked closely with the late Tan Sri C. C. Too, one of the world’s leading experts on Communism. Lim authored the first book (a biography) on the late Tan Sri C. C. Too entitled The Story of A Psywarrior (published in 2000). A graduate (English literature, 1959) of University Malaya, Khor Eng Lee has worked in the mass media since 1960, in both the public and private sectors. He was a lead writer with the New Straits Times for ten years until his retirement at the end of 1991. Now a freelance writer, Khor has authored Riding a Tiger (1996) about the postwar struggle for independence in Singapore and coauthored A Vision of 2020 (1996) on the economic dimension of Malaysia’s Vision 2020.

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Copyright © 2016 by Lim Cheng Leng; Khor Eng Lee.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 10/21/2016

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

About the Authors

Chronology

Introduction

Chapter One Baptism of Fire

Chapter Two The Interregnum

Chapter Three Purge and Purgatory

Chapter Four Towards a High Tide

Chapter Five Fight Fight

Chapter Six The Sparrows in Sarawak

Chapter Seven The Pied Piper in Peking

Chapter Eight The Critical Mass

Chapter Nine Talk Talk

Chapter Ten Anatomy of an Unwinnable War

Appendix (A) Extracts from C.C. Too’s paper on Psychological Warfare

Appendix (B)

Appendix (C)

Glossary (Who’s Who)

Abbreviations & Notes

Map of Sarawak: The Defeat of Communist Insurgency in Sarawak

CPM Organisation and Structure

TO ALL THE

FORGOTTEN HEROES AND WARRIORS INVOLVED IN DEFEAT OF THE COMMUNIST INSURGENCY IN BRITISH MALAYA, INDEPENDENT MALAYA

AND MALAYSIA

About the Authors

LIM CHENG LENG joined the Federation of Malaya Police Force in 1949 at the height of the Communist Insurgency. Lim grew up with the Nation’s top Intelligence Agency (Special Branch) and was a very successful counter-insurgent, bestowed with the British High Commissioner’s commendation in early 1953 at the time of the late Sir Gerald Templer.

Lim transferred his Malayan experience and expertise in a short stint in Sarawak (1970 – 1971) and played a key role in the anti-communist campaign that dealt crushing blows against the PGRS and PARAKU forces of the North Kalimantan Communist Party prior to the establishment of the RASCOM (Rajang Security Command) on March 1972 to handle the serious but already fading threat in Sibu, Third Division, Sarawak.

Lim earned his promotion to head the SB Psychological Warfare desk in 1975 until his retirement in July 1984. He worked closely with the late Tan Sri C. C. Too, one of the world’s leading experts on Communism.

Lim authored the first book of biography on the late Tan Sri C. C. Too entitled "The Story of A Psywarrior’’ (published in 2000).

A graduate (English Literature 1959) of University Malaya, KHOR ENG LEE has worked in the mass media since 1960 in both the public and private sectors. He was a leader writer with the New Straits Times for ten years until his retirement at the end of 1991. Now a freelance writer, Khor has authored Riding A Tiger (1996) about the post-war struggle for Independence in Singapore, and co-authored A Vision of 2020 (1996) on the economic dimension of Malaysia’s Vision 2020.

Chronology