Twelve years of terror

In 1948, the government declared a state of emergency throughout the country following the murder of three British planters in Perak by armed members of the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). This marked the start of a 12-year war against the communists.

During WWII, the communist-led MPAJA (Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army) had spearheaded local resistance against the Japanese. By the end of the war, the MPAJA had emerged as a formidable political organisation. For a while before the return of the British, units of the MPAJA gained control of some small towns.