Feelings on Independence Day

Well, right now everyone knows that Mat Kilau had been alive during the Independence Day. All citizen of Malaya were really happy and joyful for finally Malaya had become an independent country but does anyone know about our Malay warrior’s feeling during that day? Surely, he was also excited and grateful of his fights during his young days had finally paid off.

According to his son-in-law, Abu Bakar whose is husband of Zaleha, Mat Kilau’s eldest child, “On that day (Aug 31, 1957), he woke up early and after subuh prayer, he got ready to leave for Kuantan as he was aware that the proclamation was also being held in the states, other than at Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.”

He also said, “I was wondering why he was so eager to go to the state mosque field. Even though he was more than 100 years old then, I noticed he was so excited to celebrate the historic occasion.”

Abu Bakar stated that he remembered clearly how Mat Kilau had put on a white ronund-necked T-shirt with a grey overcoat and a kain sampan wrapped over the top part of his dark long pants. He wore shoes and his head was wrapped with a piece of cloth known as kain cindai (a piece of silk cloth used by Malay warriors to wrap around their head before getting into the ring to confront their foes).

That morning, Abu Bakar and Mat Kilau’s wife had wondered why Mat Kilau had worn those clothing which triggered question from Ajrah Bakar, Mat Kilau’s wife asking, “what’s wrong with you?”

After that, Abu Bakar and Mat Kilau left the house together and waited for the free bus ride made available by the authorities in conjunction with the celebration. While on the bus, Mat Kilau was obviously impatient to get to the field even though the bus was packed with people.

When Mat Kilau was at the field, he had joined the shouts of Merdeka and he also said to Abu Bakar, “see, who would have thought I too will live to see this country’s independence” which had made Abu Bakar to wonder what this man was actually trying to say.

Abu Bakar also said that the declaration of Merdeka was probably the most defining moment for the warrior who tried to defend his race, religion and the authority of his nation from occupation by foreign powers.

So, that’s it about the feelings of our most invisible Malay warrior during Malaya Independence Day. In the next post, it will be about Mat Kilau’s re-emerge to the world after Independence Day.

Sources:

1. Tuan Sharipah Shahani, Mohd Shukri Ishak (January 29, 2007), Mat Kilau the Malay Warrior. Retrieved on September 23, 2013 from theStar online website: Mat Kilau, the Malay Warrior