Monday, June 6, 2022

Is China trying to turn Sabah against Malaysia, is it time for another Operation Judas?

 by Ganesh Sahathevan 




The Australian researcher and writer Geoff Wade has observed: 


A telling example of China's subnational diplomacy. Wang Yi stops in Sabah, Malaysia on return journey to China and meets with Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey Kitingan. Only rings Malaysian FM in KL



This would not be the first occasion in which the Malaysian Government has been faced with an attempt by the Communist Party of China to turn an East Malaysian state against the Federal Government. An attempt to do so in the 70s was successfully countered by the execution of Operation Judas.


TO BE READ WITH 




To Be Read With An Account Of Operation Judas By Tan Sri Leong Chee Woh, One Of Malaysia's Leading Practitioners Of Counter -Insurgency, Who Led Operation Judas:


Finance was the NKCP's main asset in sustaining the insurgency. For a long time, it was suspected that the CTs were well supplied with money but not from the rural folks as they would have to travel far and wide to collect their finance and, in the process, risk running into the SF. We surmised, therefore, that there must be other sources from which they obtained money, and that these sources were the wealthy and the businessmen from the towns. News also filtered through from the rural people that there was a disparity of treatment of the rich and the poor. The former category were spared no matter what they did, even if it was to the extent of supporting the enemy, but the poor were arrested and detained even if they contributed a mere dollar. When more camps were attacked and more documents were recovered and there were more surrenders, a clearer picture was obtained regarding the CTs sources of finance. It was most startling that doctors, timber tycoons, bankers, and wealthy businessmen were all contributing to the SCO's coffers, and that they had been doing so for a long time. When sufficient evidence was available, a mass arrest of the big time financial supporters was planned to allay suspicions of the rural folk that the Government or the authorities were biased against the rural folk.

Operation "JUDAS" was then launched and over thirtprominenpeople in the RASCOM areabut mostlfrom thtown of Sibu itself, were arrestedBeforthis took placean opportunity was given to thosinvolved to come forward voluntarilto clear their cases but this call was ignoredBeforthey were arrestedthose involved must have felt that they would be intentionallbypassed as thmajoritof them were of high social standing and had contributed generouslto welfarschemes launched bthe governmentwas responsiblfor preparing the casfiles against thespeople and presenting them to the Director of Operations fohis scrutinand approvalOperations of such a big naturusuallinvolveverdetailed planning and manpersonnelHowever in this case all the paper work was carried out in utmost secrecand known onlto a feofficers who werspeciallsworn in. At this juncture, "That Fellow" suffered his second mild heart attack and was sent off on holidaleaving mto hold thfortAlthough I was DeputHead of SBRASCOMcompared to the Head who was constantlexposed and rubbing shoulders with the prominent peoplewho included those to barrested under JUDAS,  was unknown and ignored bthe prominenpeopleTo ensure that thnews othe arrest did not leak out prematurely and alert the arresteesall those who took part in the operation were only briefed immediatelbefore it was launched and until "Dtimeno one was allowed out of the briefinroom or to use the telephone. Transport and manpower all stood by with no onknowing the nature of the impending operationThe team leaders were given the list of their targets and all available addresses wherthey could be locatedThsecrecy was so tight thaonltwo in the targelist were not accounted for when thoperation concludedOne was out othe countrwhilst another was on business in the Republic of SingaporeThis latter person was the elder brother of the one who demanded special privileges of police escorts when he visited
the interior on business whilst I was on my first tour of duty in Sarawak.

Duringand after the arrests were madethere were manprotests from the arresteesThey demanded to know the reasons and on whose authoritthewere arrestedThe officers and men who were detailed for the operation were briefed to say that they would find out in timeIn this operationthe Armprovided the transport and all arrestees were taken direct to the prison where thewere finger-printed and photographed and put into cells. Whether it was designed or otherwisethe arrests coincided with the visit of the Director of OperationsSarawakthe Director of SBand some other important dignitariesto the State of Sabahto celebrate its anniversarof joining Malaysia. As there were no senior officials left in Sarawak for the arrestees to complain to I was accused of having exceeded mpowers and taken the law into mown hands in ordering their arrests.

Thewere termed as detainees under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the normal term of detention is twyears. Subject to recommendation bthe Board of Reviewheaded ba Judgeand which sat eversimonthsrelease could be much earlier depending on the behaviour of the detainee and the recommendation of the interviewing officerManof these detainees had been born with silver spoons in their mouths and had never been subjected to anmanual labourIn common with other prisoners and detaineesthey were subjected to prison rules and regulations and had to earn their keepIt was quite a sight to see them fumbling with a brush when asked to clean their own toiletsThewere subjected to regimentationtold when to wake upwhen to have their bathsto eatto sleepwork and play gamesBy the time thewere releasedsome were probablthankful thatat least for a short whiletheexperienced and appreciated the difficulties and sufferings of the working classThe one who was in Singapore when Operation JUDAS was launched, was subsequently detained when hreturnedHe was placed under custodat Kuching and escorted to Sibu where he was formallarrestedHe was the wealthiest of thlot and thmost influentialAs soon as halighted from the aircraft hdemanded to knofrom the arresting officer who was in command Pointing to me, standing nearby, the officer told him that it did not matter buhe insisted on speaking to mand verarrogantldemanded that he be allowed to ushis own car to wherever he would btakenI refused himIn turnI advised him to take off his jacket and hand his valuables to his brother who was presentI told him that polictransportwhich was not air-conditioned but almost just as comfortablewould take him to the prisonUpon arrivallike the resthe was finger printed and photographedWhilst in prisonhe tested the authorities brequesting special food on the pretext that he was under medical treatment and waon a special dietWhen the matter was referred to mehe waprovided with a simple answerAs the Government had always been accused of showing favour to the rich and famousit was not desirable that he should be on a special dietbut it could bconsidered if he agreed to provide and pafor the same food for all the other detainees in the camp.

Not long after Operation JUDAS concluded"That Fellow" returned from leave. Hspoke to various peopleincluding relatives of the detaineesand came to the conclusion that Ihad mishandled the Operation JUDAS detainees when the operation was laDAS arrests, after about a year, the security situation was reversed and the CTs were on the runThe only obvious placthecould go to was West Kalimantan in IndonesiaDuring the Confrontation days between Malaysia and Indonesiathe Communists

unchedI was supposed to have been too harsh towards the detainees during their arrest bunceremoniouslsnatching them from their homes and carting them awain military vehicles in full view of the publicThus my approach was wrong. Subsequently, when he broached the subjectI refused to accept his doublstandards. To mean arresteis an arrestee no matter who he mabe and all should be treated alikeThere should be no distinction between the rich and the poor.

With pressure brought about bthe SF and their financial resources depleted with the JU


RASCOM Rajang Security Command – a special command created in the 3rd. and 4th. Divisions of Sarawak to fight the Sarawak communists

NKCP – North Kalimantan Communist Party

“That Fellow” Head of Special Branch, Sarawak – a person greatly disliked by the author

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