Last Saturday, PM Anwar Ibrahim, speaking at the MADANI Rakyat 2025 Program in Baling, Kedah, pulled out the old chestnut: "I remember serving 2 years in prison because I rose up to defend the fate of the poor (in Baling)."
But what Anwar didn't let on was the widespread buzz about people dying of starvation in Baling back in 1974. The news of starvation deaths rocked the boat, leading to student protests in KL, with Anwar himself at the helm.
The cops had to step in, nabbing Anwar and Idris Sanusi on December 14, 1974, under the ISA.
"Not because he was an ABIM leader, but because he stirred up students to hold illegal demonstrations," a police statement clarified.
During the ruckus, students were chucking stones and calling the police names, like "dogs" and “government stooges.”
Tun Dr. Mahathir, then the Minister of Education, threw down the gauntlet, daring the student leaders to name those who supposedly starved to death.
This kerfuffle then spread like wildfire among rubber tappers in Baling.
This whole saga was chronicled by the late National Journalist Laureate, Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin (TS Zam), in his 2011 book, Hari Itu Sudah Berlalu.
Back then, the Editor-in-Chief of Utusan Melayu told TS Zam to hotfoot it to Baling, especially since a Universiti Malaya lecturer was also buying into the story.
Upon hitting Baling, TS Zam was floored; not only the locals but even 20 communist terrorists believed the tale so much that they emerged from the jungle, kitted out in uniform and armed to the teeth, cameras in tow, ready to dish out medical aid to the villagers.
Turns out, the communists were just trying to cash in, thinking the starving villagers would welcome them with open arms.
TS Zam felt he'd hit the jackpot that day, stumbling upon unexpected exclusive news. Many thought the communist terrorist movement was old news by then.
When TS Zam rolled in on December 17, 1974, he met Abdul Rahim Ahmad, the Assistant District Officer of Baling, and also the District Police Chief, Raja Ahmad Raja Badiozaman, plus three doctors from Baling Hospital: Dr. Tan Ah Hock, Dr. Muthusamy, and Dr. Indrani.
All three doctors shot down the starvation death stories, saying they were just sensationalized by the students in KL. “Sure, most folks in the villages here are poor, but since last November, we haven't seen a single case like that (starvation deaths).”
Dr. Tan Ah Hock explained, “For someone to die of starvation, it'd take months, and they'd be a skeleton by then. There's no way neighbors or villagers wouldn't know.”
TS Zam wasn't satisfied. He then tracked down Hussein Mohd Zain, the UMNO Youth Chief of Baling, to take him to the poorest areas to dig up evidence of starvation deaths. But he found nothing.
TS Zam also recounted how students from KL went into villages in Baling and nearby districts like Sik and Jeniang, stirring up residents to launch a "hunger strike"; suddenly, over 30,000 people were milling around in front of the Baling District Office.
This all went down when Tun Abdul Razak sent Tun Musa Hitam there to smooth things over regarding the plummeting rubber prices. That's when the gate-ramming, state-flag-lowering, and tapioca-bundle-raising incidents happened. Some even came armed with machetes and hoes.
Tun Musa Hitam arrived to a chorus of "Musang Hitam!" But his cool head managed to calm the choppy waters and break up the demonstration. He gave his word from the Prime Minister that rubber prices would shoot up right away.
It was crystal clear that the student leaders' "wisdom" in spinning the starvation yarn didn't just fool ordinary folks, even communist terrorists bought it hook, line, and sinker.
Today, as Anwar steps foot in Baling as PM, the district is no longer known as Kedah's poorest. Instead, it's had a facelift with new buildings, local business hubs, and is famous for the Ulu Legong hot spring.
"However, what hasn't changed is the former student leader who spearheaded the demonstration over 50 years ago. Even though the country's landscape has transformed, and the children of farmers and fishermen have been successfully nurtured, educated, and blossomed into professionals and businessmen, he still trots out various public issues—real, made-up, and even imaginary.
He's a dab hand at blowing small issues out of proportion, turning black into white, absurdity into truth, and even pulling off a magic act to cover up shame and sin, moving from one spectacle to the next." — The late Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin, August 2, 2009.
Amir Al Fateh (malaydigest@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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