Tunku's fearless fight for Merdeka

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ALOR STAR: Many may not know about the bravery of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-haj, the country's first prime minister. He risked his life to gain freedom for the country.

According to the Tunku's son, Datuk Seri Tunku Ahmad Nerang Putra, most of the British colonialists were against the Tunku because of his vocal demands for freedom.

Tunku Ahmad Nerang recounts an incident that happened to his father in 1954.

At that time, the colonial government appointed the Tunku to the Federal Legislative Council with the Transport portfolio.

Datuk Seri Tunku Ahmad Nerang Putra says his father campaigned hard for independence

One day, while on official duty, the Tunku boarded a British aircraft at the Kuala Lumpur Flying Club airstrip.

Tunku Ahmad Nerang said his father suspected something amiss when he saw only one parachute on the Beaver aircraft, even though there were two people on board, the Tunku and the pilot.

During the flight the pilot asked his father about the position of the British in Malaya after independence and demanded an assurance that the Tunku would not expel British nationals.

"My father said that Malaya still needed British soldiers, particularly in fighting the communists, and this pacified the pilot," said Tunku Ahmad Nerang.

He said after the plane landed safely, his father confided in him that the pilot could have bailed out from the plane and abandoned the Tunku if he had not given the assurance to the British man.

Tunku Ahmad Nerang, 76, said once he was driving his father to visit hot spots in Tanjung Malim, Perak, Kuala Kubu Baharu, Selangor, and Raub, Pahang, in 1954. Tan Sri Khir Johari and Tan Sri Syed Jaafar Albar also accompanied them in the back seat.

"The road then was very narrow and several armoured cars joined us to provide security and I had to drive close behind one armoured vehicle."

Upon reaching a rest house in Raub, a police officer told Tunku Ahmad Nerang that it was dangerous to follow an armoured car very close from behind.

The Tunku said: "I don't need the escort, those people behind me (Khir Johari and Syed Jaafar) are good enough."

After resuming the trip, the Tunku told those in the car that he received a letter from Chin Peng (the Communist Party of Malaya leader) which assured his safety and that Chin Peng supported his struggle for independence.

Tunku Ahmad Nerang said, in return, his father had assured the safety of Chin Peng during the Baling peace talks of 1956.

During pre-Merdeka days, taking a train was considered risky but this never scared the Tunku. Tunku Ahmad Nerang recalled an incident when his father boarded a train from Kuala Lumpur bound for Butterworth.

"The train had to stop at Tapah as the tracks at Tanjong Malim had been sabotaged by the communists, forcing us to spend the night on the train."

They only knew the next day that the train was carrying many British soldiers.

Tunku Ahmad Nerang said, rain or shine, his father campaigned hard for the country's independence.