"Demonstrasi bukan amalan demokrasi rakyat negara ini?" (1)

Berikut merupakan laporan yang diambil dari Malayan Press Digest yang dikeluarkan oleh Press Intelligence, Kerajaan Kolonial British. Press Digest yang dikeluarkan seminggu sekali ini merumuskan berita dari akhbar dan majalah (harian, mingguan, bulanan), risalah politik dan buku yang diterbitkan di Malaya mulai 1945, selepas perang dunia kedua.


PROTEST DEMONSTRATION BY MALAYS

A big demonstration against the Malayan Union staged by 36,000 Kelantan Malays was reported by MAJLIS 9.2.1946. The Malays chose to call the White Paper as an “atomic bomb thrown by the British in Malaya”. SERUAN RA’AYAT 9.2.1946 gave the number of men who took part in the procession as 65,000. The demonstrators carried banners with inscriptions in English and Malay saying “British Government Betrays Trust”, “Can we trust British Government Again?”, “Allow Malays to exist in this world”, “Give us our rights”, “We want justice”, “We want peace but not at the expense of our rights”, etc.

The paper published the “declaration of oath” adopted by the Kelantan Malay officers who unanimously decided to tender their resignations, if their protest met with failure, and to employ most of their energy and ability in defense of their national status and their motherland.

Commenting on this procession the Chinese MING SENG 7.2.1946 said that the Kelantan Malays were now caught in a fever of nationalism and showed strong opposition to the White Paper. They were even prepared to stage a strike when it was necessary.

How, 2,000 Kedah Malays with banners and shouting slogans awaited the arrival of Major-General Hone in Alor Star to “offer their protest against the Malayan Union”, was reported by WARTA NEGARA 4.2.1946.


Sumber: Malayan Press Digest No. 16, 10hb-16hb Feb 1946