Palestine and the colonial question: Lessons for Malaysia (Part 2/2)

Cross-ethnic resistance to colonial domination

Malaya had a certain history of cross-ethnic resistance, even insurgency, against British colonial rule.

Both the ethnic Malays and the other ethnic groups played important roles in speaking, publishing, rallying and fighting against the British colonisation of Malaya.

An example of this was the mutli-ethnic anti-colonial Putera–AMCJA alliance.

Putera stood for Pusat Tenaga Rakyat (Centre of People’s Power). Formed in February 1947, it comprised Malay-based organisations.

The AMCJA stood for the All-Malaya Council of Joint Action, with its origins in December 1946. The counterpart to Putera, the AMCJA was primarily non-Malay based.

Note that neither tied their identity to any one ethnic group.

For instance, Putera did not call itself Pusat Tenaga Orang Melayu (Centre of Malay Power). It called itself Pusat Tenaga Rakyat.

And the same with the AMCJA – it was ‘All-Malaya’.

Both were left-inclined organisations bound together by a common anti-colonial drive and the search for common national identity.

Putera-AMCJA campaigned for democratic, elected self-government that would quickly lead to an independent, sovereign Malaya free from colonial rule. It advanced the People’s Constitutional Proposals in 1947 as a democratic alternative to the British-backed federation scheme. At the same time, the alliance recognised key Malay historical and political realities, including the Malay character of the land.

Unsurprisingly, the British rejected the proposals. They were not yet prepared to allow self-government in Malaya. They saw the cross-communal proposals as “antithetical to their objectives in Malaya [as self-government] was the priority of the opposition” (Merdeka! Khong Kim Hoong, 1984).

Another example was the communist-led insurgency against British rule, which the British termed the ‘Malayan Emergency’ from 1948 to 1960. Although the insurgency was mainly ethnic Chinese in composition, Malay participation was real and significant, whether in armed struggle, organisation, support networks or leadership circles. There were Malay-Chinese personal and political solidarities, even including marriages between Malay and Chinese communist figures.

The declaration of ‘emergency’ in June 1948 was followed by waves of detention. Many of those detained were seen as leftists by the British colonial authorities. What is interesting was the large number of Malays who were also detained as leftists, communists or sympathisers – estimated at over 1,000.

This, however, was not publicised by the British. “They feared that disclosure of Malay involvement with the communists might weaken their propaganda in identifying the communists [who were fighting colonial rule] as mainly Chinese” (The Masked Comrades, Cheah Boon Kheng, 1979).

The point of all this is that the Palestinian struggle for justice is cross-religious and cross-ethnic, rooted in a common national identity. It makes us remember our own history where we too were cross-ethnic in our opposition to colonial domination.

It should nudge us into strengthening our bonds of commonality in Malaysia instead of the all-too-often reinforcement of our differences and antagonisms, real or imagined.

This includes divisive comparisons occasionally made, by both Malays and the ethnic minorities, between the situation in Palestine and their own respective situations in Malaysia. Such comparisons are wrong and cannot be substantiated.

In the Malaysian context, it is understandable for solidarity with Palestine to be mainly Muslim- based because there is also the important element of Muslim solidarity. The majority of the country’s population is Muslim just as the majority of Palestinians are Muslims. 

But the injustice against the Palestinian people goes beyond that.  Non-Muslim Malaysians have been comparatively silent, and the divide should be bridged. 

Universal solidarity with Palestine is an opportunity for us to strengthen our multi-ethnic solidarity in Malaysia.

Honour and self-reliance

For four generations, Palestinians have been subjected to extreme Zionist colonial oppression by force, and all that it entails.

Yet, Palestinians continue to stand unbowed.

When they have to fight to resist (which they are entitled to as an oppressed people), they fight – with comparatively primitive weapons.

But they also place great emphasis on education. Despite decades of displacement, occupation and exile, Palestinians have among the highest literacy rates in the world and are widely recognised as a highly educated people.

Persisting with education is one way of refusing to surrender. This is a form of dignified resistance – the building of the people’s own capacity and self-reliance for a liberated future that they know will come.

That is admirable conduct, pointing to honour and dignity. It is also a reminder to us.

As we point that finger outwards, accusing Israel of genocide and its absence of accountability, we have to remember a few very important things. We need to avoid those things that erode public trust and accountability, harm leadership credibility and lower the moral tone of Malaysian society.

Standing in solidarity with Palestine means taking a moral stand. But we cannot do that convincingly if we simultaneously hollow ourselves out by doing wrong and shameful things domestically.

It is also a reminder that building capacity and self-reliance is important.

Malaysia may no longer be under formal colonial rule, but we remain vulnerable to a global system still shaped by Western neo-imperial power.

We must build self-reliance and improve in many areas – including food security, education, governance, social and economic inequity, financial indebtedness, scientific research, technology and energy.

Breaking the nexus

Israel, backed by imperial power, founded itself by colonising and dispossessing indigenous Palestinians. It continues to be enabled by the US and others. 

The Israel-US imperial nexus, with a knee on the Palestinian throat, enables Israel to make perpetual wars and cause unending turmoil in not just the region but also globally.

That is why freeing the Israeli chokehold on Palestine and breaking that nexus will help free the world.

But Zionism is putrefying; it is rotting. That is why more and more people around the world hold their noses when they walk past its decaying flesh.

The overall Palestinian spirit of resistance, however, is an inspiration.

It shows the high road that we in Malaysia should take both in our actions and solidarity with the Palestinian cause, and in our actions domestically.

See Part 1

This article is based on a forum of the same title held on 10 October 2026 at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall. The author was part of the panel of speakers.

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