“Revolusi '48” By Fahmi Reza – Revisioning Our National History.

This is a documentary about the unheard Revolution by Parti Komunis Malaya (PKM) against the British colonialist in the year 1948. What Fahmi Reza is doing is an act of Revisioning, a term popularly used by New Historicist /Historian. Giving the exiled freedom fighters of Malaya a voice, Revolusi 48 is also giving the present generation an alternative choice of Heroes and Heroine.

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Revolusi 48, as it is being promoted, to be a propaganda documentary, justifying PKM’s deeds and correcting all false accusation of the past about them. It is a counter resistant strategy towards the British Colonialist and right wing politician which literally paint the PKM’s outlook – leaving out PKM’s contribution to the Malaya independence and giving them no credit while demonizing them.

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In a lay man’s point of view, revolution is a movement or rather a circular religion which pushes and motivates the people to carry out drastic change. The Revolution back then was seen as a great deal for hasten independence in Malaya. The Revolusi 48 has not ended yet. To some, it only ends when the objective of drastic change had been achieved. Metaphorically, the revolusi 48 was packed and sealed into a time capsule by the authority. But when such political enthusiasm was capsulated, it’s a matter of time that the compressed urges of the unfinished revolution began to build from time to time and soon may explode. The outcome of such enthusiasm explosion is still unknown and I’ll leave it to Political and Social scientist to throw in their predictions.

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The Revolusi 48 died not because it is a bad idea but because it loses human support. The lacking of support was due to the massive arrest, British propaganda and the new village projects. A dead revolution can be revived, it only takes a spark.

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Now, on the matter of spreading such information (as in the revisioning documentary of Revolusi 48) to the general public, I’ll suggest that political scientists and social science researchers should study the influence and the reaction of the society upon being edified with such information. Will there be a second great social and political awakening? Only time will tell. Even if its not, that doesn’t mean Fahmi Reza’s documentary fails because I am sure that is not his primary objective.

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Fahmi Reza’s Revolusi 48 is a ‘must watch’ documentary and should be shown in all academic institution, not for the reason to convert people into communism but rather to remind us of the forgotten freedom fighters and to prepare us for a next Revolusi in our nation (only if needed).

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Get yourself a ‘Nama Revolusi’ after watching this. Mine shall be ’Andu’ :-)