We've tried to ensure the information displayed here is as accurate as possible. Should there be any inaccuracies, we would be grateful if you could let us know at info@ipohworld.org . All images and content are copyright.
(Please click on the thumbnail for a bigger image.)
Ambush At Tanjong Malim Part 2 - General Templer Punishes The Townspeople
Three days after the shocking ambush on 25th March 1952 and which killed twelve, including the Assistant District Officer, Michael Codner, W H Fourness (Executive Engineer, South Perak), Public Works technicians and seven policemen, General Templer arrived in Tanjong Malim. His message to the town was clear - collective punishment for all 20,000 inhabitants.
Stalking angrily into the Training College hall where 350 Malay, Chinese and Indian community leaders had been assembled, Templer immediately started too berate them and their people. He said that the savage outrage of the ambush could only have been successful with the knowledge of certain local people. He also reminded them that the twelve had been murdered on the way to mend the water supply for them, the people.
He continued:
"None of this would have happened if the inhabitants in this part of the country had had courage. You want everything done for you, but you are not prepared to assume the responsibilities of citizenship. I want law and order, so that I can get on with many things which are good for this country. Why should it be impossible to do these good things? Because people like you are cowards. Do you think that under a Communist regime you will be able to live a happy family life?"
Suddenly he asked:
"Are any of you Communists in this room? Put your hands up. {pause} All Right. I shall have to take extremely unpleasant steps."
The leaders listened in silence to the punishment which affected every living soul for miles around:
Templer then pointed out that the terrorists were only able to operate because thy received food from the local inhabitants. He reminded the gathering that, since 1st January that year, in the Tanjong Malim district, there had been five ambushes, ten attacks on the military and police patrols, five lorries burnt, 6,000 rubber trees slashed, seven strikes due to Communist intimidation, three busses destroyed, five unsuccessful road ambushes, one train derailed, one attempted derailment, an attack on a Malay village, sixteen terrorist camps found, eight policemen killed and nine wounded plus seven civilians murdered with a further two wounded. On only three occasions had members of the public come forward with information.
He then declared:
"This, is going to stop. It does not amuse me to punish innocent people, but many of you are not innocent. You have information that you are too cowardly to give."
Finally he issued a warning to other towns in the Federation that he would not hesitate to impose similar punishments elsewhere if they allowed the Communists to thrive in the way that the people of Tanjong Malim had.
This severe collective punishment involving many innocent people cause quite a storm in the British parliament as being over strict, but Templer was strongly defended by Lord Salisbury, Secretary for Commonwealth Relations who said:
"We have sent out Sir Gerald as the best man we could find to do a job of particularly difficult and delicate kind. Surely one must give him the proper chance to do it. Sir Gerald has the complete confidence of the Government; he has been given full discretion to deal with the Communist terrorists in Malaya."
The curfew lasted 14 days and in the first week soldiers and police delivered a sheet of paper to every house inviting the occupants to write down whatever they knew about Communist supporters and suspects. 24 hours later each house was visited again and the householder was invited to place his folded piece of paper in sealed boxes whether written on or not. Community representatives then travelled with the boxes to King's House in Kuala Lumpur where they watched Templer unseal the boxes, pour them on a large table and go through some of them.
No details have ever been divulged about the number of blank papers or the details that were completed. However before the 14 days curfew was completed, 40 Chinese, suspected of assisting the Communists, were arrested in Tanjong Malim.
Following the period of punishment the district quickly recruited 3,500 Home Guards, the Communist 36 Platoon broke up and moved north and the Government built two sets of wire fences around the town with 15 feet high lookout towers and the perimeter lit up at night. Tanjong Malim soon became one of the safest towns in Malaya.
The photographs above show:
On the left, the main street of Tanjong Malim during the daylight curfew hours imposed by General Templer, and
On the right, the General unlocking a box of the secret information provided by the Tanjong Malim residents. Representatives of the community are lined up to watch him.
To read Part 1, about the Tanjong Malim ambush on 25 March 1952, click here.
To read more about General Sir Gerald Templer, click here.
To read more about the Home Guard, click here.
To read about Communist slashing of rubber trees, click here.