Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.
– Winston Churchill, British statesman
IT was the harsh but military-type disciplined Japanese which toughened and fuelled the fire of nationalism in Ahmad Zaidi.
Zaidi was also inspired by General Sudirman, whose armed struggle against both the Japanese and the Dutch colonisers, was legendary.
Turning back the clock to the last months of the Second World War, Zaidi said: “The rigorous training I received at Buitenzorg University helped me survive in the jungles of Kalimantan.
“When Indonesia’s independence was proclaimed on August 17, 1945, I attended the raising of the Merah-Putih flag in East Java and declaration of the slogan of One Race, One Language, One Nation on October 28.”
The 20-year-old Zaidi was also inspired by the “Pancasila” which became the ideological and philosophical basis of the Republic.
The Pancasila comprised of five principles:
- Ketuhanan yang Maha Esa (Belief in one God)
- Kemanusiaan yang adil dan beradab (A Just and civilised society)
- Persatuan Indonesia (A unified Indonesia)
- Kerakyatan yang dipimpin oleh hikmat kebijaksanaan dalam permusyawaratan dan perwakilan (Wisdom through democratic discourse)
- Keadilan sosial bagi seluruh rakyat Indonesia (Social justice for all communities)
On November 23, 1945, Zaidi joined an entourage of 43 “information officers” on a secret mission to prepare the groundwork for independence in West Kalimantan.
The Dutch heard the group had crossed the Straits of Java and ambushed one of the two sailing boats led by revolutionary commander Rahadi Usman who was killed.
Ahmad Zaidi and a separate group of 20, who were on their way to Pontianak, encountered a storm and their sail broke.
They repaired the sail and managed to reach Pulau Cempedak — a Malay community reputed to be experts in the art of black magic.
Zaidi said the islanders were apparently able to throw fireballs called “polong terbang” (flying spirit) to bombard the enemy.
Confirming this, he said one night, he saw a fireball flying across the sky and heading towards a Dutch ship.
After the tragic start, remnants of Rahadi Usman’s group, some of whom were injured, joined Zaidi as they continued their journey to Pangkalan Bun in Central Kalimantan.
On arrival at Kota Waringin, Zaidi told the Sultan that they were freedom fighters from Java, fighting for Indonesia’s independence.
The Sarawakian also met with Dayak “Kepala Burong” warrior chief Panglima Luput as they prepared for a protracted war against the Dutch.
In response, the Dutch gathered an army of 1,000 soldiers and Indonesian volunteers to confront the freedom fighters.
“We were outnumbered and I was forced to flee into the mountainous region where I took refuge at a Dayak farmhouse where I grew my hair long and posed as a Dayak farmer.”
In February 1946, more freedom fighters arrived such as Banjarese commander Hussein Hamzah of Pemuda Sosialis Indonesia (Pesindo).
“We failed to recapture Pangkalan Bun which had fallen to the Dutch, so our men joined Hussein’s 60 revolutionaries who were operating in the coastal area near Telok Bogam in South Kalimantan.
“Hussein’s men were well-armed with a large cache of weapons from Surabaya and by May 1946, we faced a crucial battle with an overwhelming Dutch army.”
In May, the Dutch, who were in a large commercial boat anchored off the coast, sent an officer and armed soldiers in a lighter barge to attack Zaidi’s camp at Sungei Rengas but were ambushed.
Said Zaidi: “The young Pesindo fighters, who were dressed in jungle fatigues, took their positions and the Dutch forces spread out on the opposite side of the Rengas River on the western flank.
“To the north and east were a river and treacherous swamps and the only way to escape was to head directly towards the open sea where the Dutch navy was waiting … it appeared we were trapped.”
Initially, Hussein opened fire first with a light machine gun killing the European officer and several others and executed a captured Ambonese soldier with a Japanese samurai sword.
At 5pm, Hussein rose from his position to load his light machine gun and was killed by a sniper with a shot to the head.
Another Sarawakian Kuching-born Ghazali Usop, who was next to Hussein and armed with only a parang, held the Pesindo leader in his arms before he died.
However, as the day-long battle dragged on, the group had no option but to leave.
“I spoke to Fimansyah, who was second in command, and said that we had to escape because the Dutch were waiting for reinforcements from Pangkalan Bun. It was now or never.”
At 10pm, in the cover of darkness, they took two village boats camouflaged with leaves and branches and drifted to the mouth of Rengas River and then headed to Kampung Jelai.
With the help of the Malay fishermen they secured two boats, but not before the Dutch shelled the village, causing untold damage.
As Zaidi and the group left Java on a hazardous week-long journey, they managed to pass through the Dutch cordon before reaching the open sea, with limited drinking water.
Limping into East Java, the men were “heroes” returning to their homes for the protracted battle for independence.
At Mojokerto, Zaidi joined the “Angkatan Laut Republic Indonesia (ALRI)” and was appointed captain of the intelligence division to carry out reconnaissance in Kalimantan.
On January 24, 1947, the Dutch forces captured the ALRI command base and Captain Zaidi, high on the wanted list, was forced to run.
In December, Zaidi left in a fishing boat for Singapore and then made his way back home to Sibu via Kuching.
Zaidi had expected a hero’s welcome when he visited Kampung Nangka in Sibu but was told the sad news that his foster as well as his biological parents had died of illness and the ravages of war.
As Sarawak’s most qualified Malay student holding the lofty qualifications of a Cambridge School Certificate, he had to earn a living fishing or working in the padi fields.
Instead of the accolades, his return was a celebration of survival.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
