The rise and demise of the Labour Party of Malaya was an important experience of socialist politics in Malaysia. Mistakes were made and many leaders and members paid a heavy price for them. Even so, their courage, commitment and sacrifices before and after independence cannot be denied a proper historical appreciation, observes Tan Kim Hong in tracing a brief history of the party.
I still remember the late Dr M K Rajakumar’s message the day before I was smuggled out of the country: “Hamid, have faith in the struggle, keep safe..,” recalls Syed Hamid Ali.
The late Dr M K Rajakumar was a great man in a tumultuous era in Malaysian history. Unfortunately, he lived in an era that was not ready for a man like him; otherwise, he would have moved the world, observes Tan Kai Hee.
His mission was to serve the people – be it as a politician, a physician, a person. This selfless dedication stemmed from the socialist ideals he had imbibed from young: witnessing an Asia swept up in the anti-colonialist storm, going beyond being a witness in bringing about the dawn of the independence era in Malaysia.
It was because men like the late Dr M K Rajakumar kept the opposition flame of high ideals burning even through the darkest hours that the present opposition is able to reap the benefits, says Tan Poh Lai.
The late Dr M K Rajakumar deserves to be regarded as the best role model for Malaysians, especially the youths of today, says Syed Husin Ali.
Who could have imagined the election results of March 2008! Khoo Boo Teik looks back at a long year and reminds us that we must continually turn to our community of dissent. It is only in this community that we can find the unifying hope for meaningful social and political change.
Last year, we bade farewell to three leading figures in the community of dissent in this region – the country’s leading public intellectual Rustam Sani, the legendary Singapore opposition leader J B Jeyaretnam, and the former Labour Party of Malaya leader Dr M K Rajakumar, who passed away on 22 November 2008.
The late Dr Rajakumar believed that a society based on justice and solidarity is possible, says Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj in a tribute to the former Labour Party leader.