Synopsis of Bukit Kepong

BUKIT KEPONG TRAGEDY

Bukit Kepong Incident was a historic armed encounter which took place on the February 23, 1950 between the police and the Malayan Communists during pre-independence Malaya. This conflict took place in an area surrounding the Bukit Kepong police station in Bukit Kepong. The wooden station was located on the river banks of the Muar River, about 59km from Muar town, Johor.The incident started just before dawn with the Communists launching a guerilla assault on the police station. It ended tragically in a bloody massacre with the aggressors killing almost all of the police officers stationed there. When they began the siege, the attackers strongly believed that they would be able to defeat the policemen and gained control of the police station within a short span of time. This is due to several factors in their favour: 

1. Arms and numerical superiority 

2. Relative isolation of the station. 

The battle began at about 4.15 am.In the final hours of the fierce battle, the Communists set fire onto the officers' barracks and station. Two women and their children were burnt to death in the married quarters. At that point only 3 policemen plus a village guard were still alive. They rushed out from the burning station, unable to withstand the heat. They then assaulted the Communists position, killing at least 3 of them.Only about five hours after the first shot was fired did the communists manage to break their defences and set the place ablaze. They then retreated into the jungle, leaving a trail of destruction and bloodshed.

14 policemen, 4 village guards, 3 auxiliary policemen, wife of Abu Bakar Daud (one of the surviving policemen) and three of their children were killed in the incident. The total number of deaths is 25. Those who survived the bloody encounter are 4 policemen and 9 family members including their wives and children.

(Nur Farhah Binti Othman)