He started his career as journalist for Saudara newspaper in Penang. He proceed his writing for Warta newspaper at Kinta Ipoh, Majlis at Kuala Lumpur, Utusan melayu at Singapore, Warta Malaya also Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya at Singapore. He was well known as a prolific journalist because his writing had make him stand in the same level with others famous Malay journalist like Abdul Rahim Kajai, Ibrahim Haji Yaacob dan Ishak Haji Muhammad. He became addicted to involve his self in activities of nationalism for the Malays in 1930 s by wrote his opinion and suggested advices like what his journalist friends did in helping the Malays to overcome the weaknesses in economic, social, and politic after being pressure from British and other immigrant .
KMM?? (Kesatuan Melayu Muda) Do you still remember everything about KMM? This is a society lead by Ibrahim Yaakob. This is the society he first joined when started his politic activities as vice secretary while at the sama time became the reporter for Majlis newspaper at Kuala Lumpur. He was also known as politician that fight against colonist and yet he talent in writing which can influenced and inspired people was admitted by the British since he was very influence person at that time. He was then established Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM), which aim to control Malay region with constitution and then created a society names "Barisan Bersatu Malaya" to gain supports from Malays political parties and Indian labour society.
He was arrested for three times but that made him became more aggressive to fight against British colonist because he did went through difficult times with to the British colonist pressure. He was first arrested on 1941-1942 together with 150 of KMM members and supporters. He was then brought before court for the charge of seditious. On the following year, he was then fined with $1,200.00 because published the sensitive testament in newspaper named politik Api which he wrote that independence only can be achieved by sacrifice people life or ‘merdeka dengan darah’. He was also known as one of the brilliant politician since he had established one radical group named Gerakan Kiri Tanah Air (KITA) after this group cooperation with Parti Komunis Malaya and British which at that time was fight against Japanese army. This group was proven that he was against Japanese.
On 1948 – 1957, he was arrested for the second time and effected his politician career for seven years because the British believed it was dangerous to British politics in Malay region and the area around it. He was also label as dangerous politician by the British.
PRM..? (Parti Rakyat Malaya).That was first party politic created by him after he was release from imprisonment on 1955. He was inspired by ideology of Indonesian politician name Sukarno. He was then being famous Malay opposition Politician that established Socialist Front (SF) and end up to became very famous Malay opposition party after independence. He was won in Malaysia election 1959 in Setapak at Kuala Lumpur under the party of Socialist Front which then gave him the great acknowledgement in his political activities. But, he was arrested again in 1963 by the government because he was suspected to be cooperating with Parti Komunis Indonesia (PKI) and involved in chaos that occurred in Brunei on 1962.On that time, he was still member of Parliament whom represented Setapak.
He was passed away due to lung cancer in 1983 as one of the Malaysian hero in gain independence. Before he passed away, he used to write for newspapers in his luxury time and to support his life. In his life, he had published less than fifteen novels titled, Api dan air mata, rumah kaca di gegar gempa, merintis jalan ke puncak, tujuh tahun malam memanjang, sorotan sekilas, lambaian dari puncak, testament politik api, memoir Ahmad Boestamam: Merdeka dengan Darah dalam Api and others. Three from his novels titled merintis jalan ke puncak, tujuh tahun malam memanjang, and lambaian dari puncak was based on his experience as politician in Malaysia. Due to that, one novels titled memoir Boestamam : merdeka dengan darah api was published by UKM in year 2004 which the opening remarks titled merdeka dengan darah wrote by Malaysian famous writer in Malaysia Tan Sri A.Samad Said. In the novels titled merintis jalan ke puncak, he had described the difficulties his face in produce a newspaper without monetary supports until the declaration of national emergency 1948 by British government.
In the novels titled tujuh tahun malam memanjang he had shares with the readers regarding his seven years experience in imprisonment when he was place in the same cell with other politicians like Kamarulzaman The(PKM leaders, Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaya), Rashid Maidin( PKM leaders), Hassan Zol, Zain Arif, Sharif Salleh, Othman Abadi(Utusan Melayu), Ishak Haji Muhammad, Ustaz Abu Bakar Al-Bakir, Wahi Anwar(pengasas Pembela Tanahair, PETA), Baginda Buyung, Ahmad Sulaiman and many more. He was gain pardon from Sultan of Pahang and free from imprisonment on 1955.
The real fact is that many young generations nowdays does not aware about the existence of one of the Malaysian hero like him. We should acknowledge his contribution in Malay political party to gain independence in Malaya and fight against Colonist. Yet, in subject of history in our school also not recognize his valuable contribution. Since he was known as politician from opposition party ,he was than being isolated until today. But, did you realize that he was the one of the light that enlightens the spirit of nationalism among the Malays before. His role as one of the most importance person in Malaysian political views should not be neglected. He is the journalists name Abdullah Thani Bin Raja Kechil or well known as Ahmad Boestamam an activist that fight against colonist in gain Malaysia Independence.
(982 words)
writing by: NOOR SYUHAIDAH ABD ZAWAWI.
edit by : NOOR FADZLIN ABD ZAWAWI.
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