The Dark History Behind the Monument on the Hilltop of Sungai Siput

Who would have thought that the monument erected on the hilltop of Ladang Sungai Siput by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) was actually built to commemorate a dark history that is now being forgotten by our generation.

The dark event took place in the Sungai Siput area when the Federation of Malaya declared a state of emergency in 1948. For the information of our loyal readers at orangperak.com, this followed the tragic killing of three British planters by communist terrorists at Elphil Estate and Phin Soon Estate on June 16, 1948. During the dark era when communist terrorists were rampant in Malaya, it is worth noting that the dense forests around Sungai Siput were among the strongest and most feared communist terrorist strongholds.

Returning to the story of why the monument was erected on the hilltop of Ladang Sungai Siput, it was because the manager of Elphil Estate, 50-year-old Arthur E. Walker, was shot at close range by three communist terrorists after they broke into the estate manager's office.

It is worth noting that Elphil Estate at that time was one of the largest rubber plantations owned by a British company in Malaya. Therefore, any negative news involving this estate would spread rapidly throughout Malaya.

John Munt Allison

A group of 12 communist terrorists then raided Phin Soon Estate and tied up the estate manager, 55-year-old John Munt Allison, as well as his assistant, 21-year-old Ian Deare Christian.

Both were shot, and this incident led the British High Commissioner in Malaya, Sir Edward Gent, to immediately declare a State of Emergency on June 16, 1948, in Perak and Johor, before extending it to the whole of Malaya two days later.