SURIANI (1924-2013) – A Malaysian Independence Heroine

Former CPM heroine Suriani passes away

Susan Loone 3:35PM Mar 21, 2013

Suriani Abdullah, a well-known leader of the outlawed Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), died peacefully at 6am today at her home in Narathiwat, Thailand, after battling ill health for almost five years.

Suriani, 89, who suffered severe memory loss, leaves behind a husband - former CPM chief Abdullah CD - and daughter, Karisma.

ACMP spokesperson, who wished to be known only as Mat Amin, said the community of ex-soldiers who lived in the same village as Suriani gave their leader a tearful goodbye as they were parting with "a comrade and a mother whom they loved dearly".

"Although bedridden, she was always asking after the village and its progress. She was always motivating us to increase our income and was very concerned about the well-being of the village and its people," he said, in an email to Malaysiakini.

Suriani was born in 1924 as Eng Ming Ching, in Setiawan, Perak, and joined the underground CPM in 1940 at the age of 16.

She was then actively involved in organising women workers in the Kinta Valley and later participated in the anti-fascist guerrilla, the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA).

She studied at the Nan Hwa High School in Setiawan together with CPM secretary-general Chin Peng and in 1975, became an elected member of the CPM's central committee member.

Despite her ill health, Suriani was never alone, as she had the constant company of her daughter and other female friends who would visit her from time to time.

Joys and difficulties shared together

"Upon hearing about her demise, her friends automatically stopped working and started to mourn her departure," said Mat Amin, who was also a former soldier of CPM's 10th regiment.

"She was where we would go to share our problems or happiness, we shared our joys and also our difficulties together," he added sadly.

Suriani's body was carried to the funeral site - about one kilometre away - by her friends who did not want to send her away by car, and who preferred to take turns to carry her coffin on their shoulders.
According to social political commentator James Wong Wing Hon, Suriani, in the 1950s, "was proclaimed, in absentia, ‘a resistance heroine' of the Pacific War at an international conference in Beijing".

"She only reappeared in public view on Dec 2, 1989 as a VIP at  the ceremony in Haadyai witnessing the signing of the Peace Accords between the Communist Party of Malaya and the governments of Malaysia, as well as Thailand," said Wong, who runs a blog called 'Clare Street' as well.

"In the mid-1990s, Suriani and her husband Abdullah CD - also chairperson of CPM - was granted an audience in a palace by His Highness Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak.

"Later in 1999, they performed the Haj at the holy city of Mecca," added the former DAP Kampar MP. _ Malaysiakini, 21/3/2013, Former CPM heroine Suriani passes away

Versi Bahasa  Malaysia:- Malaysiakini, 21/3/2013, Bekas pemimpin PKM Suriani Abdullah meninggal dunia

Kenyataan yang dikeluarkan PSM


SURAINI (1924-2013) – SEORANG PEJUANG KEMERDEKAAN DAN ANTI IMPERIALIS

 

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) ingin merakamkan rasa takziah kepada keluarga dan kawan-kawan Srikandi Suriani yang merupakan salah seorang tokoh agung kiri tanahair yang berjuang untuk kemerdekaan tanahair dan telah menentang pencerobohan Malaya oleh Imperialis Jepun dan British.

Ibu Suriani adalah antara pejaung paling unggul abad ke 20 dan pernah diberi perkenan oleh DYMM Sultan Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah pada tahun 1989.

Sebenarnya ramai wanita yang terlibat dalam gerakan kemerdekaan dan SriKandi Suriani merupakan salah seorang daripada  tokoh yang banyak membuat pergorbanan demi perjuangan. 

Suriani Abdullah lahir pada 23 Januari 1924 di Sitiawan, Perak. Pejuang progresif ini lahir dalam zaman kesedaran nasional rakyat semasa Tanah Melayu pada masa itu dijajah oleh British. Pada masa itu Malaya sedang bergelora dengan kebangkitan rakyat. Beliau adalah produk kebangkitan ini.

Setelah Perang Anti-Jepun meletus, Suraini terpengaruh dengan gerakan pelajar anti-Jepun. Pada masa itu, terdapat dua parti politik yang aktif menentang penjajahan; KKM (Kesatuan Melayu Muda) dan PKM (Parti Komunis Malaya). Suriani menyertai Tentera Pembebasan Tanahair iaitu Rejimen Ke-10.

Sumbangan Suriani kepada kemerdekaan Negara harus dilihat melalui penglibatan beliau dalam Perjuangan Anti-Jepun (1941-1945) dan Perang Pembebasan Nasional Anti-British (1948-1957)

Beliau pernah ditangkap oleh tentera Jepun dan dipenjarakan. Namun, semangatnya yang gagah dan berani menyebabkan Suriani tidak pernah tunduk kepada kekejaman penjajah. Semangat dan penampilan pejuang wanita ini diberi pengiktirafan dan diberi gelaran ”SRIKANDI ANTI-JEPUN”.

Beliau banyak memberi sumbangan dan berjuang bersama-sama tokoh seperti Abdullah CD dan Rashid Maidin sehinggalah termeterai Perjanjian Damai Haadyai di antara Kerajaan Malaysia dan PKM. Suriani telah berumahtangga dengan Abdullah CD dan menetap di Selatan Thailand.Pada tahun 1999, Suriani dan Abdullah CD telah mengerjakan Haji di Mekah.

Dalam pemergian ini, PSM meminta Kerajaan Malaysia mengikriraf  pengorbonan semua pejuang yang berjuang untuk kemerdekaan Malaysia termasuk pejuang kiri seperti Suriani. Sejarah harus memberi pespektif benar dan biar rakyat menentukan. 

Salam Pemergian Ibu Suriani - Perjuangan mu tetap dikenang dan dihormati

S.Arutchelvan
Setiausaha Agung PSM
21-3-2013