Hamid Tuah

In September 1974, inspired by Hamid Tuah, landless peasants struggling under rising prices and falling wages staged a civil protest in Tasek Utara, Johor. This saw underprivileged villagers rose against evictions and the demolition of their homes.^[7] Again, the villagers allied with university students such as future Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia (PSRM) leader and Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim.^[8][9]

In November of that year, larger protests in Baling, Kedah led to thousands of protesters being tear-gassed, news of which reached universities nationwide despite the lack of media coverage. According to PSRM leader and Universiti Malaya university professor Syed Husin Ali, Hamid Tuah was not directly involved in the 1974 protests but his children Siti Nor and Damhore were.^[8]

On Dec 3, thousands of students gathered at the Selangor Club padang, reasserting the farmers’ demands and calling for action against corrupt politicians. More than 1,100 students were detained.^[10]

Student activist Hishamuddin Rais fled the country to avoid arrest, while another noted student leader Anwar Ibrahim was detained under the Internal Security Act for nearly two years. Syed Husin himself was detained for six years.^[7]

Hamid Tuah died in January 1997.^[11] A village in the Telok Gong area was named Kampung Hamid Tuah after him.^[12] His daughter Siti Nor was a long time socialist activist with Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia, being active from the 1970s to the 2000s. She ran for Parliament as an independent in a by-election for Kuala Kedah in 1973, and representing PSRM in the Ulu Nerus seat in 1974, losing on both occasions.