Salam buat semua. Salam PKP. Alhamdulilah kerana Allah masih memberi Atok kesempatan untuk beribadat kepadaNya walaupun kita dan negara tercinta masih dalam keadaan berwaspada terhadap musuh yang tidak nyata, iaitu Covid dan Syaitan. Adapun terhadap musuh yang pertama, maka kita perlulah banyakkan bertaubat kepada Tuhan atas kesalahan-kesalahan yang telah, sedang dan akan kita lakukan kerana apa yang terjadi kini adalah atas dosa-dosa kita di masa lalu.
Mungkin dahulu kita selalu mengabaikan rumah tangga, tiada masa bersama anak-anak. Banyak masa kita di luar. Bukan masalah bekerja sangat, tetapi menghabiskan masa bersama-sama kawan, sampai ke petang, senja hingga ke larut malam. Bercerita hal dunia, mengumpat, memfitnah sesama manusia. Mungkin juga kita berkunjung ke tempat-tempat maksiat, kita lupa jalan pulang ke syurga. Tangga kelab dan karaoke kita panjat, berhibur bercampur jantan betina, tetapi kita tak berdaya meniti tangga masjid dan surau, bersolat dan berwirid bersama Tok Imam dan umat seagama.
Masa PKP inilah Allah berikan kesempatan. Bertaubatlah dan beribadatlah. Kembalilah ke pangkuan Allah. Allah rindu akan kita. Bangunlah tatkala manusia semua sedang nyenyak tidur. Bersolatlah dan berdoalah. Mohonlah keampunanNya. Pintu taubat masih terbuka. Dambakan syurgaNya. Mohon jauhkanlah azab kubur dan nerakaNya.
Adapun terhadap musuh kedua yang tidak kelihatan tetapi nyata. Memang syaitan musuh kita, musuh anak Adam yang nyata. Walaupun sukar, tapi ada jalan menolak ajakan, rayuan, bisikannya. Pertama, rapatkan diri kepada tuan pemiliknya. Allah SWT. Minta bantuan Allah, sentiasa ingat padaNya. Kedua, kawal nafsu kita. Tundukkan nafsumu. Nafsu umpama kuda liar yang perlu dijinakkan sehingga taat perintah tuannya. Zuhudkan kehidupanmu. Beriman kepada rukun yang Enam. Amalkan rukun yang Lima. Berikhtiarlah dan bertawakallah.
Entri Atok kali ini memang berkaitan musuh. Musuh-musuh yang nyata jahat terhadap kita tetapi menjadi dan memberi pengajaran kepada kita. Daripada mereka kita belajar keluar daripada kepompong kita. Memang mereka manusia puaka kerana merenggut maruah diri dan bangsa, menjarah hasil anak negeri sesuka hati mereka. Tapi kitalah puncanya. Kita lepaskan diri daripada tali-tali Allah. Kita berpaut kepada muslihat dan umpanan keduniaan mereka. Kitalah yang harus dipersalahkan kerana menderhakai Allah dan RasulNya. Kitalah yang memilih Syaitan berupa manusia sebagai teman. Maka apabila kita kita terjerut, salahkanlah diri sendiri. Maka menangislah kita memohon keampunanNya. Maka dibebaskanNya kita dengan jalan kemerdekaan. Maka, manakah antara nikmat-nikmat Allah yang akan kita sanggahkan?
Kisah di bawah ini merupakan lipatan sejarah yang pernah berlaku di negara kita, ketika diuji Allah dengan pertembungan antara Harimau dan Buaya. Kita pernah keluar dan terlepas daripada cengkaman mulut harimau tetapi kemudiannya disambar masuk ke mulut buaya. Kita meronta sepenuh daya. Memang banyak anggota yang terluka, tetapi kita masih bernyawa. Kini kita pula menyaksikan kehancuran kedua-dua musuh pada masa yang sama. Hargailah kemerdekaan yang kita kecapi sejak 1957 lagi. Kemerdekaan kita mahal harganya, bukan dapat secara percuma, ehsan bekas Tuan-tuan kita. Harganya kita bayar dengan darah dan keringat para ulama, guru, pejuang serta doa dan harta benda.
Jadi, Atok kongsikan hasil carian Atok di internet berdasarkan memoir-memoir para saksi yang dibukukan ketika hari bersejarah itu. Bermulalah lembaran baharu dalam sejarah negara. Kali in Atok minta tolong kawan Atok yang namanya Mr. Google untuk terjemahkan tulisan Atok ini ke dalam bahasa Inggeris. Sengaja Atok biarkan dalam bahasa asalnya, Bahasa Inggeris agar feel dan auranya terasa.
Begini kisahnya....
Greetings to all. Greetings PKP. Alhamdulillah because Allah still gives Atok the opportunity to worship Him even though we and our beloved country are still on the alert against the unreal enemies, namely Covid and Satan. As for the first enemy, then we need to repent a lot to God for the mistakes that have been, are and will be done because what is happening now is for our sins in the past. Maybe in the past we always neglected the household, no time with the children. A lot of our time outside. It is not a problem to work very hard, but to spend time with friends, until the evening, dusk until late at night. Telling the world, cursing, slandering fellow human beings. Maybe we also visit the places of immorality, we forget the way back to heaven. The stairs of our club and karaoke are climbing, entertaining mixed with males and females, but we are powerless to climb the stairs of mosques and suraus, praying and performing wirid with Tok Imam and fellow believers. This is the time of PKP. God has given the opportunity. Repent and worship. God misses us. Wake up when everyone is sound asleep. Pray and pray. Ask for His forgiveness. The door of repentance is still open. His heavenly longing. Please remove the torment of His grave and hell. Pray and pray. Ask for His forgiveness. The door of repentance is still open.
As for the second enemy who is invisible but real. Indeed, the devil is our enemy, the real enemy of the sons of Adam. Although difficult, but there is a way to reject the invitation, the appeal, the whisper. First, get close to the owner. Allah SWT. Ask for God's help, always remember Him. Second, control our passions. Subdue your lust. Lust is like a wild horse that needs to be tamed until it obeys its master's orders. Zuhudkan your life. Believe in the six pillars. Practice the Five Pillars. Try and trust.
Atok's entry this time is indeed related to the enemy. The real enemies are evil against us but become and teach us a lesson. From them we learn to come out of our cocoons. Indeed, they are tribal people because they take away the dignity of themselves and the nation, plundering the produce of the natives at will. But we are the cause. We escape from the ropes of God. We cling to their worldly tricks and bait. We are the ones to blame for disobeying Allah and His Messenger. We are the ones who choose Satan in the form of humans as friends. So when we are entangled, blame ourselves. So we cry and ask for His forgiveness. Then He freed us with the path of independence. So, which of God's blessings will we deny?
The story below is a fold of history that once happened in our country, when God tested it with a clash between Tiger and Crocodile. We once came out and escaped the grip of the tiger's mouth but were then snatched into the crocodile's mouth. We struggled with all our might. It is true that many members are injured, but we are still alive. Now we are witnessing the destruction of both enemies at the same time. Appreciate the independence we have achieved since 1957. Our independence is expensive, not free, courtesy of our former masters. The price we pay with the blood and sweat of the scholars, teachers, fighters as well as prayers and property.
So, Atok shared Atok's search results on the internet based on the memoirs of the witnesses recorded during the historic day. A new chapter in the history of the country has begun. Deliberately Atok let in his original language, English so that the feel and vibe is felt.
Here is the story ....
THE PLAN
Planning to liberate Malaya was inevitably made on the assumption that the Japanese would hotly contest a landing and that the invasion of the peninsula would have to be carefully mounted operation with nothing left to chance. The original invasion plan had called for a landing in forced on the beaches of Selangor, followed by others at Port Dickson to the south and then at Singapore, to secure a major port. Even though the enemy surrendered without a fight, it was still necessary to get occupation troops as ashore on the peninsula, and so the main body went in.
Deception operation plan, intercepted by the Japanese intelligence, stated that the landing would be at the Ithmus of Kra, made the Japanese fell for it and sent the bulk of the Japanese forces to the north. Most defence forces, about 1,000 men, stationed near enough to react immediately to the landings, their main strength being in Kedah where they has expected the invasion to take place.
We now know that no more than one battalion of Japanese troops covering the Morib beaches area, leaving the real landing places around the beaches of Morib weakly defended, which we could very easily have knocked out with our overwhelming infantry which landed without difficulty. SEAC would have a handful of Wataniah to harass the Japanese from the rear or cut them off from crossing the peninsula.
Reconnaissance was the major role, related to the projected invasion of Malaya across the Morib beaches and in the neighbourhood of Port Dickson by Force W and XXXIV corps. On the other hand, very little information of similar nature was available for the beaches selected for the Zipper landings. The Malayan west coast could not be reached in anything like the same manner since the closest British bases in India or Ceylon were about 2,400km away. Any reconnaissance would have required a voyage of several days and nights through Japanese-controlled seas, and considerable care would need to be taken to avoid discovery. Several investigation teams were dispatched but what little information was obtained did not look promising.
Port Dickson was believed to have beaches of firm sand and was thought to be an obvious location for the landings but it was well defended by the Japanese, and so Morib, a small Malay fishing village some 50km to the north was chosen for the main thrust of the invasion. However, it was found that deep mud lay only 8 inches below the surface there and what should have been and ominous finding was given scant attention by the navy personnel responsible for assessing the intelligence. The fact that the Morib beaches were unsuitable seems to have added to the theory that they would not be well defended. Even if a landing could be achieved, Morib hardly featured on a map in 1945 and compared with Port Dickson further down the coast had very little in the way of recognised roads inland for access to the interior.
The British forces embarked at ports in India and Sri Lanka in accordance with plans already made for an assault on Malaya. We were on the high seas, on complete wireless silence, when the Americans dropped the two atom bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki and news of the Japanese surrender was received. The Japanese surrender had come suddenly on 15 August. It was quite an anticlimax after months of feverish activity and preparation. Orders, however, were that the assault landing would go on as planned. Related to the landing of XXXIV Indian Corps of the coast of Malaya at Penang, Morib and Port Dickson, plans for this action had been developed after numerous tactical exercise prior to the Japanese surrender.
Proceeded with the original landings, there was a staff officer from headquarters to explain the landing details, of which for security reasons we had previously been kept in ignorance. In Malaya it was the Morib-Port Dickson area in Selangor. At Morib, there were none of the complex defensive position which faced the Allied Forces landing in Normandy in June 1944, and our landing was supported by a massive force of twenty-one warships, whose fire would have been brought to bear on the defenders, as would that from 180 naval aircraft.
It was decided the assault landings were to be made by two divisions on the Morib beaches, south of Port Swettenham. Between Morib and Kg. Bagan Lalang, the former had firm sand and good exits but the the latter seems to have mud mixed with sand and generally unsatisfactory exits. For the assault, the joint planners put forward two courses: either simultaneous landings by one division over the Morib beaches to secure the Kelanang and Port Swettenham airstrips, and by one over the southern part of the Morib beaches to secure the bridges at Sepang.
At Morib, which lies 3.8 miles to the southeastward of the entrance to Kuala Jugra, there is a Government rest house and sanatorium, also , a large bathing palisade which is clearly visible from seaward. A drying sand bank extends for a distance of 1.8 miles off Morib, the water then deepening rapidly at 800 yards farther seaward.
IRONICALLY, It was on the same beaches, 3 years earlier that the 5th Division of the Japanese Imperial Army landed from boats in the neighbourhood of Morib to occupy Kajang, a strategic position on the main road. The 5th Division had for many years been trained in military landing operations. Naturally, the successes of the Imperial Guards facilitated the advance of the 5th Division, which, after the breakthrough at Slim River, was able to menance the enemy line of retreat in the rear of the the main British forces. On January 10 1942, the Japanese claimed that their advance forces had reached Tanjong Malim and that a large pincer movement against Singapore was beginning; They had executed their duties heroically, and landing at Port Swettenham, Morib, Muar, Batu Pahat, and at many other places, they attacked the enemy in the rear. On the next day they reported that their spearhead of their forces was near Morib, southwest of Kuala Lumpur.
THE WAITING
There was a delay of more than a month between the Japanese surrender and the landing of British troops at Morib , during which a political and administrative vacuum existed which the MCP was eager to fill . Bands of the MPAJA converged.
On 5 September, after the signing of the reoccupation, HMS Sussex arrived in Singapore and troops of the 5th Indian Division took over the island. On the same day, the flotilla commenced sweeping a known Japanese sea-minefields off the Morib beaches, to facilitate the safe landing of the occupation troops, which was due to commenced at daybreak on September 9. The brigade group objective was to capture the Morib beaches, establish a bridgehead and secure the entire area for the rest of the force.
On 8 September, a civil affairs detachment passed through Singapore and reached Johor Bharu. Consequently, it was a relief when signal giving the time and place of the landings (Operation Zipper) was received. Provided with a car by the Japanese, John Davis and Douglas Broadhurst made their way to the nearest invasion bridgehead; Morib Beach. Colonel Broadhurst joined John Davis who was now at Telok Datok, close to Morib beach. The Davis - Chin Peng rapport was so close that Davis had invited Chin Peng , who was at that time the MCP liaison officer at Force 136 HQ , to witness the landing of British troops on Selangor south-western coastline. It was early morning before dawn when they arrived at Morib beach, John Davis recalled, a beach both knew well as a prewar holiday beach.
THE LANDINGS
When we reached the quiet waters of the Malacca Straits we heard that Operation Zipper had come unzipped. Military Intelligence did not know that the Morib beaches by Port Swettenham, which had been guarded by the Japanese army who had already surrendered. The Malayan landings were made in the Port Swettenham area on the 9th September, and there was in fact no opposition. Eight per cent landed at Port Swettenham ( now renamed Port Klang ) which lies roughly half way between Penang and Singapore on the Straits of Malacca . All went well, however, and the leading elements of the Brigade Group were soon ashore. There were a large number of suicide boats ready for use had the war not ended. As Zipper had turned into a peaceful landing, some of the craft allotted had been whipped away to other tasks and their loss meant a last-minute adjustment of the plan. The bulk of the Operation Zipper force of some 100,000 men landed in Morib as scheduled on 9 September and fanned out over Malaya. Being selected to join the British forces set up to invade Malaya and fight the Japanese, Tun Hussien Onn landed in Morib as part of the assault force.
Morib was a sound of marine engines. The number of Royal Marines in landing craft, support craft and escort ships, which include Nelson and three cruisers, probably exceeded 2,500. Those in (Peggy Force) followed an LC Navigation from LSI Glenroy, the two LCS(M) Mark 3s. These were crewed by a detachment of Royal Marines.The ships anchored off Morib beach where men and vehicles were offloaded into LCMs and LCTs for landing. The local population were surprised when when its bows ended up among the palms and jungle that fringed the beach.
Although the Davis and Broadhurst car displayed the guerilla and British flags, no recognition signals were made. Even so it was a thrilling sight. Later fighter aircraft skimmed low and naval launches maneuvered close to the coast raising clouds of spray.
The first airfield, Kelanang, was handed over peacefully by the 100 Japanese soldiers assigned to guard it and was found to be in a good condition. Spitfires from 11 and 17 squadrons were flown off from aircraft carriers and were later joined by the Austers of 656 Air OP Squadron. Advanced HQ 224 Group was established on the airfield by that evening. The airfield was secured by noon that day with guards and patrols being sent out immediately to sweep the area for Japanese troops. The regiment was represented in the landings at Morib by 1324 Wing HQ, under command of Wing Commander Laurie, along with four squadrons. The police would assist an important junctions and at the landing strip, and accompany the marker lorries to ensure that the operation was not unnecessarily delayed. One team, with poles, marker balloons and labourers, proceeded to Simpang Morib junction where the pole was raised in a vertical position on top of a lorry. The lorry moved at 50ft intervals towards Morib each time the aircraft passed overhead. The second lorry, carrying an extra pole and balloon, followed closely and was only used when the first balloon failed becaused of deflation or when it had to be lowered.
Squadron personnel landed on the beach at Morib-possibly the first airmen ashore in Malaya. A flight with 37 Brigade, landed at Sepang, and the OC and the C Flight landed in the Morib area. The 25th Indian Division landed on the beaches of Morib but without covering fire. 37th Indian Infantry Brigade landed further south and 23rd Indian Division landed some eight miles northwest of Port Dickson.
The Expedition had its troubles none the less. They landed across the Morib beaches, which had been surveyed in great detail by SOG parties the previous June. The landing craft were to beach at low tide. Unfortunately, there was a sand bar some 200 yards offshore and the first waves of landing craft grounded on it. They were expecting a nice sandy beach, but instead were often above their knees in sticky mud. The Chosen beaches at Morib were found to consist chiefly of soft mud. General Slim murmured, "They are all bloody well sinking in the mud on those muddy bloody beaches."
When the landing craft carrying 1324 Wing and 2748, 2846, 2852 and 2941 squadrons moved towards the beaches at Morib, they grounded some 600 yards from the shore and the squadrons has to wade. Although the first wave of troops was landed successfully and able to move inland, the ebbing tide meant the discharged of vehicles was chaotic as many landings craft grounded too far from the beach. Vehicles were soon bogged in the mud or had their engines flooded and only a few were able to reach the shore.
The anti-malaria units were to concentrate mainly on spraying the beach-head installations and the concentration area behind the advancing troops but, if circumstances permitted, they were required to assist the forward units in the organization of spraying. For this purpose, one anti-malaria unit was to land at Morib on D-Day and second unit on D-Day plus one.
THE AFTERMATH
Air Vice-Marshal Bandon and his advance HQ 224 Group staff moved ashore to Klanang airfield on September 10th before moving towards Telok Datok on September 14th. They reached Kuala Lumpur on the 18th before arriving in Singapore four days later.
On the eve of the 11th September, the D-plus-3 convoy dropped anchor among the great concentration f shipping already lying off Morib beach. The scene, with every vessel twinkling lights, resembled more a Cowes regatta than one of the largest amphibious operations of the campaign.
On 11 September, 2748 Field and 2846 LAA Squadrons were transferred offshore from a ship to an LCI and then an LCM for the run inshore. Unfortunately, the landing craft grounded in four feet of water and the airmen had to wade 50 yards with water up to their chests. After sorting themselves out on dry land, a recce party of wing and squadron officers moved off to the airfield at Kelanang. Here they made contact with Wing Commander Rae, the GDO of 224 Group who had landed on D-Day. The following day, two aircraft arrived, having taken off from HMS Trumpeter. Three days later 2941 Field Squadron landed on the Morib beaches. The ORB continues.
On 14 September, The Squadron moved the next day to Kuala Lumpur, and engaged on anti-looting work, and protection of threatened civilians, and liaison with RAF Provost, as well as mounting security guards.
The Morib beaches were closed just before midnight on the 25th September, by which time 44,474 troops, 4305 vehicles and 11,671 tons of stores had been discharged across them, for the total loss of six landing craft of various kinds.
By the time the beaches were closed , Morib on 25th and Cape Rachado on 28 September , 63,838 troops , 7,337 vehicles and 25,671 tons of stores had been landed over them . At the time of the ZIPPER landings there were 6,000 Japanese soldiers.
THE CONCLUSIONS
With disbelief, but genuine joy, Malayan people welcomed back the colonial troops. If the departure of the Japanese caused euphoria amongst the Malayans, the return of the British thrilled the children to whom they gave lots of things to eat-chocolates, butter, chocolate bars and Horlicks tablets, meat of all kinds and even real bread which tasted so nice. In schools, they were given six tins of Milk Maid condensed milk. News of the liberation soon spread to Kuala Lumpur. A safari of sorts set out immediately for the Beach resort, Morib, comprising ancient cars and run down buses, as well as bicycles, some of them on solid tyres.
The landings at Morib cannot be described as attaining the same degree of success as those experienced at Port Swettenham and Port Dickson. While there was much to commend Port Swettenham and Port Dickson for landings by a fighting force, this unfortunately, could not be said of Morib. A number of M.T. vehicles which were driven off the landing craft by their Army drivers into what was considered axle-deep water, later plunged into slime and mud while negotiating the shore and remained fast. There were several casualties.
These are important factors which might well have produced serious consequences had Zipper been mounted against opposing forces on dry land at this part of the coast and would therefore have been sitting ducks for enemy fire.
Apa macam, power tak English Atok? Itulah pentingnya English education! Oklah. Wassalam.
Further readings/References
