Yassin Affandi
Yassin Affandi | |
|---|---|
| يسسين اففندي | |
 Yassin in 1962 | |
| President of the National Development Party | |
| In office 2005–2010 | |
| Secretary of Brunei People's Party | |
| In office 1978–1974 | |
| In office 1962–1956 | |
| President | A.M. Azahari |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 May 1922 Sungai Matan, Brunei-Muara, Brunei |
| Died | 18 July 2012 (aged 90) Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei |
| Education | St. George's School |
| Occupation | Politician |
Muhammad Yasin bin Abdul Rahman (19 May 1922 – 18 July 2012), also known as Yassin Affandi, was a Bruneian politician who served as the president of the National Development Party from 2005 to 2010. He worked with A.M. Azahari during the Brunei revolt of 1962, when they called for the unification of Brunei, Sarawak, and North Borneo (Sabah) under a single administration.[1] Together with other rebels, they directed against Brunei's proposed inclusion in the Federation of Malaysia.[2]
Early life and education[edit]
On 19 May 1922, Yassin was born in Kampong Sungai Matan, which is located outside of Bandar Seri Begawan. When he was twelve years old, from 1934 to 1937, he attended the Pekan Malay Malay School for his early schooling. With permission from Sarawak Junior Level, he pursued his education at St. George's School from 1937 until 1942 after finishing Grade 4. The school closed in 1942 due to the Japanese invasion of Brunei.[3][4]
The Japanese government in Brunei then dispatched Yassin to Miri, Sarawak, to study Japanese. While studying, Yassin was employed as an electrician while he was in Miri. After completing his studies, he moved to Labuan.[4]
Career[edit]
Early career[edit]
In Labuan, Yassin took a job translating from English at the Borneo Civil Administration. He was offered the chance to work part-time as a ground crew in the air defence in Labuan. He returned to Brunei shortly after, at the close of 1946, and took a job as a storekeeper at the National Store Department. He received an employment offer from Brunei Shell Petroleum a few months later. From 1947 till 1956, he worked for Shell Oil and organised the company's trade union while he was employed at Shell.[3][4]
Political career[edit]
Brunei Youth Front[edit]
Yassin was also involved at an early age in the Brunei Youth Front (BARIP) movement, which Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin supported. From 1946 to 1950, he served as BARIP's Head of Information. He was enthralled by the Sultan's battle, decided to launch an underground campaign against British colonialism with his companions after the British disabled BARIP. This movement would continue until the Brunei People's Party (PRB) was formally founded in 1956.[3]
Brunei People's Party[edit]
Yassin was named as PRB's first general secretary. At the time, the provinces of Sarawak and Sabah were included in the fight for Brunei's independence, and PRB was the only political party in Borneo.[3] Yassin traveled to London in 1957, accompanied by the late A.M. Azahari and Zaini Ahmad, on behalf of PRB, to confer with the Colonial Office on the Brunei Constitution's draft. Regarding the draft Constitution that the Brunei Royal delegation was negotiating at the time, the PRB delegation has provided its second opinion.[3]
Revolution and exile[edit]
On 8 December 1962, he organised an armed uprising against the British occupation of Brunei and the surrounding area. Soon after, British Army soldiers airlifted from Singapore put an end to the uprising. However, up until his capture on 18 May 1963,[5] there was still a second phase of insurgency.[1] He was wounded in action after a fight with Gurkhas near the river mouth of Brunei River,[6] in the marshes surrounding Brunei Bay.[3][7]
Yassin was held in the Berakas Detention Camp until 12 July 1973, when he and seven other inmates managed to escape and reach Limbang. According to a report published by Utusan Malaysia on the 27, ten Bruneians (including Yassin) who had fled to Malaysia were given political refuge by the Malaysian government, as soon as they arrived.[8] His 25-year exile ended in 1998 when he returned to Brunei.[3]
In 1974–1984, when PRB made a return overseas, he was once more entrusted with responsibilities and trusts as the organisation's secretary general. He was once again trusted to represent the PRB independence mission to the United Nations (UN) in July and November 1975, together with A.M. Azahari and Zaini Ahmad, to present a petition to assert Brunei's independence. UN Resolution 3424 (1975) was the resolution that the UN adopted in response to the PRB's independence claim.[3] A bounty of B$15,000 was put on him by the Brunei government at the time.[9]
Return to Brunei[edit]
In 1997, Yassin was eventually granted permission to return home after 25 years of exile. But once more, he was kept in Bruneian detention for two years before being set free in August 1999.[10] He went on to co-found the National Development Party (NDP) in 2005,[10] and was chosen as the party's president at its inaugural general congress in June 2006. After that, he served as president for four years before being forced to resign in August 2010 due to health issues.[3]
During the party's third convention in June 2008, he suggested that Brunei take over from Malaysia as the coordinator of the International Monitoring Team, which has been in charge of overseeing a provisional truce between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF replied that it was better if Malaysia kept playing that role. Later on, he was named chairman of the Party Advisory Board, a position he held until his death.[3]
Death[edit]
On 18 July 2012, Yassin died at the age of 90[3]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Shaw, Alexander Nicholas (3 July 2016). "British counterinsurgency in Brunei and Sarawak, 1962–1963: developing best practices in the shadow of Malaya". Small Wars & Insurgencies. 27 (4): 702–725. doi:10.1080/09592318.2016.1190052. ISSN 0959-2318.
- ^ West, Barbara A. (19 May 2010). Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania. Infobase Publishing. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-4381-1913-7.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Ndp, Biro Penerangan- (19 July 2012). "rumpunsuara: BELANGSUNGKAWA: HORMAT SELURUH WARGA NDP KEPADA ALMARHUM AYAHANDA AWANG HJ MUHAMMAD YASIN BIN ABD. RAHMAN". rumpunsuara. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ a b c Gunn, Geoffrey C. (1997). Language, Power, and Ideology in Brunei Darussalam. Ohio University Center for International Studies. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-89680-192-9.
- ^ Agency, United States Central Intelligence (1963). Daily Report, Foreign Radio Broadcasts.
- ^ Jabar, Biro. "Peristiwa dan Sejarah Hari Ini: 8 Desember NUSANTARANEWS". NUSANTARANEWS (in Indonesian). Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ Tate, D. J. M. (1999). The Power Behind the State: A History of the Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation (SESCO) and of Electricity Supply in Sarawak. Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation. p. 262. ISBN 978-983-99360-1-8.
- ^ Arkib, Pusat Maklumat dan (27 July 2022). "Sepuluh tahanan Brunei dilindungi". Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ "PERAN ORGANISASI PERGERAKAN DALAM PEMISAHAN BRUNEI- MALAYSIA TAHUN ( ) - PDF Download Gratis". docplayer.info. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ a b Lansford, Tom (24 March 2015). Political Handbook of the World 2015. CQ Press. ISBN 978-1-4833-7155-9.
