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| PROPAGANDA: The banner pictured above typifi es the anti-Malaysia sentiment during the 60s. |
Large scale arrests
Following the Brunei Rebellion in 1962 when AM Azahari launched his attempt to overthrow the Brunei Sultanate, the British carried out large scale arrests of anti-colonisation and anti-Malaysia elements.
According to Liew, the ‘migration’ of the mostly Chinese youths to the Indonesian border was prompted by arrest orders issued by the British to round up suspected communists.
About 700-800 CCO members and supporters slipped across the Sarawak border into Indonesia where they received intensive training in guerilla warfare.
It was this group that formed the core of the communist guerrilla units — Pasukan Rakyat Kalimantan Utara (PARAKU) and Pasukan Gerilya Rakyat Sarawak (PGRS).
Liew recalled joining a group of 30 to Serikin on the border with Indonesia.
“The intensive training included swimming, tree climbing, blindfolded assembly, disassembly of guns and TNT explosive handling.”
In the midst of all this, Tunku Abdul Rahman launched his federation plan to incorporate Singapore, Brunei, Sarawak and Sabah into a single political entity called Malaysia.
“The first operation of the trained members was to lead about 60 guerillas as a show of force to the Cobbold Commission visiting Sibu.
But the plan failed when the guerillas lost their way in the jungle and ran out of food too.”
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