Veteran communist fighter Captain Mukhtiar Singh regards his years in the police and army with a mixture of pride and indignation — pride because he fought fearlessly, and indignation because, despite the sacrifices, he has been denied his rightful pension.
In 1948, Mukthtiar, 16, was like many teenagers his age. He studied hard at Batu Road School in Kuala Lumpur and helped his grandfather with chores. To earn extra money, he worked part-time as a night watchman.
Mukhtiar’s parents, who were farmers in Punjab, had sent their eldest child at the age of four to Malaya to get an education. The outbreak of the Emergency, however, changed everything as he was drafted into the police force.
“When the Emergency started, the management of the company I was working for took all the watchmen to the Campbell Police Station and gave us a rifle and 100 rounds of ammunition. We were made Special Constables but we did not know how to use the weapons as we had no training,’’ he recalls.
In 1950, Mukthiar received a telegram that his mother was seriously ill. He left for India but she died before he could see her. A heart-broken Mukthiar returned to Malaya hoping to continue his studies. His dreams were dashed, however, when he was forced to take up arms again.
“I was riding my bicycle when my English boss, Mr Swan, at Wilkinson Process Rubber Company in Ipoh Road, stopped me and asked me to rejoin the police. I told him I wanted to study. However, he informed the OCPD of Kepong of my return. I was told to rejoin the police force or be sent for national service in Kulai, Johor,” says Mukthiar, who was soon made a Special Constable again.
Still wanting to leave, he started reporting sick in the hope that he would eventually be discharged. However, he was told that he would end up in the lock-up if he continued to shirk his duties. That proved to be a turning point for Mukthiar because, from then on, he embraced his fate and devoted himself to the police force, quickly rising up the ranks.
Mukhtiar was made temporary inspector in 1954 and led a 36-man platoon, the Police Special Squad Group Number 4, to two Selangor Battle Defensive Shields. To get the shield, platoons were awarded points based on the number of communists killed or captured and weapons seized. A dead communist earned the highest points: 25
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