Why I am not symphatetic to Lelaki Komunis Terakhir

Maybe I should talk about my dad. Well, he was in the British Army based in Singapore during WW 2. After British surrendered he went home to Butterworth and few months later was drafted by the Japanese Army to serve in their submarine plying from Penang to Burma, Nicobar Island etc. After the war, he was absorbed into the police force and with his wide experience in combat etc he was in the early batches of Field Force. I was about 3 yrs old then and I remembered very well everytime he came out from Betong, Kroh and all those highly risked areas of Communist insurgency, he would take me onto his lap and told me stories about shootings with bandits, lost in jungles, dead friends etc. I wanted to write about him so many times, but halfway he would tell me to stop. Its too much for him I think. And I just dont have the heart to make him pour out everything.

And watching him made me angry and hurt when people tried to speak fondly seeking understanding and sympathy for anything concerning The Malayan Communist Party. I'm not being defensive for what I beleived in but I seek understanding of what my dad had gone thru. The day newspapers were riddled with controversies concerning Amir Muhammad's film Lelaki Komunis Terakhir my dad immediaetly called me from Ipoh and asked me harshly how could anyone be so insensitive to make movies about Chin Peng? He broke down in the phone and I rushed back to tell him the government had taken it off from being screened. But clearly he was very upset and became suspicious with everyone. He felt very betrayed and the trauma of communist insurgency is like a time bomb in his mind. Ready to explode at the slightest provocation!

Ok, I'm my daddy's girl. Maybe that explains everything and no apology! I remembered when I was about 9 he would take me into the jungle and climb mountains and taught me about survival tactics and how to locate for water and what plant or fruits to eat if one is lost. Sometimes I pretended to feel tired during climbing Mt.Engku Busu behind my house in police barrack in Lumut, Perak and my dad would carry me on his back uphill!! But he never turn back halfway come rain or shine during those climbs. I asked him often why did I have to endure those jungle walks and mount climbing? So that I know how to fend myself and will survive should the country be overtaken by enemies communists or no communists, he said. Good thinking, dad. I owed you a lot. Maybe now it explains why I am not very symphatetic to Amir Muhammad's banned films.