Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Malay Nationalist Party Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya ڤرتي كبڠسأن ملايو ملايا
Abbreviation	PKMM
Founder	Mokhtaruddin Lasso
Founded	17 October 1945
Dissolved	1948
Preceded by	Kesatuan Melayu Muda
Succeeded by	Parti Rakyat Malaysia Labour Party of Malaya Parti Islam Se-Malaysia UMNO (left wing)
Youth wing	Angkatan Pemuda Insaf
Women's wing	Angkatan Wanita Sedar
Ideology	Left-wing nationalism Malay nationalism Indonesian unificationism Socialism Pancasila Anti-imperialism
Political position	Left-wing to far-left
Colours	Red, white
Sang Saka Malaya
Political parties

The Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM), also known as the Malay Nationalist Party, was an important political group in Malaya. It was started on October 17, 1945, in Ipoh, Perak. This party was the first Malay political party to form after the Japanese occupation of Malaya.

The main goal of PKMM was to achieve full independence for Malaya. They wanted to end British colonial rule completely. The party followed five key ideas: belief in God, strong national pride, power belonging to the people, kindness to everyone, and fairness for all. These ideas were similar to the Pancasila principles in Indonesia. Many PKMM members were inspired by the independence movement in Indonesia. They hoped to unite the Malay and Indonesian independence efforts into a larger "Indonesia Raya."

When the British suggested creating a Federation of Malaya, PKMM joined other groups. They formed an alliance called the AMCJA-PUTERA coalition. Together, they proposed their own plan for the country, called the People's Constitutional Proposals. This plan asked for common citizenship and a democratic government. However, the British did not accept their ideas.

Later, the Federation of Malaya was created. The British also took strong action against left-wing parties and communists. Because of this, PKMM had to stop operating. However, many of its members continued to play important roles in Malayan politics.

The Malay Nationalist Party: Its Story

How the Party Started

The PKMM was officially created on October 17, 1945. Its first meeting took place from October 16 to 17, 1945. Representatives from different states were there. There was also a representative from Pattani, Tengku Mahmood Mahyiddeen. A royal representative from the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Hishammuddin Abdul Aziz Alam Shah, also attended and gave money to help the party.

The first leaders of the party included:

• Mokhtaruddin Lasso - General Leader
• Dr Burhanuddin Al-Helmy - First Vice Chief
• Baharuddin Tahir@Taharuddin - Second Vice Chair
• Dahari Ali - Secretary
• Zulkifli Auni - Vice Secretary
• Ahmad Boestamam - Youth Chief
• Katijah Ali - Women's Affairs Chief
• Arshad Ashaari - Treasurer
• Salleh - Religious Chief

The PKMM held its first big conference from November 30 to December 4, 1945. Many different people attended this meeting. They included communists, royal family supporters, nationalists, Islamic teachers, socialists, students, and people who loved Malay culture.

At this meeting, the party agreed on its main goals:

• To bring all Malay people together.
• To encourage a strong sense of national pride among Malays.
• To unite Malaya with the larger "Indonesia Raya" family.
• To support freedom of speech, movement, thought, and education.
• To improve the economic situation of the Malay people. They wanted to encourage business and farming to make life better.
• To allow farmers to grow crops freely. They wanted farmers to be free from land taxes. They also wanted them to sell their crops anywhere.
• To ask for national schools for Malays. In these schools, they could study any subject for free.
• To demand freedom to publish books. They also wanted to teach about democracy. This would help improve Malay politics and encourage national pride.
• The PKMM wanted to work with other races in the country. Their goal was to create a united front for Malaya. This would help achieve independence and success for Malaya as part of the Republic of Indonesia Raya.
• To support the people of Indonesia in their fight for independence.

In 1946, Mokhtaruddin Lasso left Malaya for Indonesia. After he left, Dr Burhanuddin Al-Helmy became the new party leader. The new leadership team was:

• Burhanuddin Al-Helmy - General Leader
• Ishak Haji Muhammad (Pak Sako) - Vice Chief
• Zulkifli Auni - Secretary
• M. Maza - Vice Secretary
• Baharuddin Tahir@Taharuddin - Treasurer
• Ahmad Boestamam - Youth Chief
• Shamsuddin Salleh - Social Activities

By 1947, the party had 53,380 members. Its strongest areas were in Perak and Pahang.

There were some disagreements between Burhanuddin Al-Helmy and the youth leader, Ahmad Boestamam. Ahmad Boestamam wanted to take stronger actions against colonial rule. This led to the creation of separate groups for women and youth. The Angkatan Pemuda Insaf (API) became the youth group, led by Ahmad Boestamam. The Angkatan Wanita Sedar (AWAS) was the women's group, led by Shamisah Fakeh.

What Happened After PKMM

In 1948, the British declared a state of Emergency. They took strong action against left-wing parties and the MCP. This made it very difficult for PKMM to operate. The API youth group was the first organization to be banned. Many nationalist leaders were arrested, including Ahmad Boestamam, Ishak Haji Muhammad, Katijah Sidek, and Burhanuddin Al-Helmy.

After this, PKMM's activities split up. Some members stopped being involved in politics. Others tried to bring about change from within another party called UMNO. For example, Mustapha Hussein, a former member of KMM and PKMM, almost became the leader of UMNO. He lost to Tunku Abdul Rahman by just one vote.

Some members, like Shamsiah Fakeh, Wahi Anuwar, and Musa Ahmad, went into the jungles. They joined groups fighting against the British. Other members went on to start or lead new political parties. For instance, after their release, Ahmad Boestamam started the Parti Rakyat. Ishak Haji Muhammad started the Labour Party. Both of them later started the Parti Marhaen Malaysia. Burhanuddin Al-Helmy became the leader of the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia from 1956 until he passed away in 1969.

See also

• Kesatuan Melayu Muda
• Rukun 13