Title
Jungle scarf, Communist uniform
Year/Period
1950s
Region
Singapore and Malaysia
Material
Wool, cotton
Dimension
Object size: L:98cm x W:67cm
Accession No.
2000-03682
Collection of
NLB Type
Costume
The dress cap and khaki shirt belonged to Major W.J.F. Sutton, a British veteran of the Malayan Emergency. The daggers and sheaths, jungle scarf and Communist peaked cap were retrieved from the body of a Communist whom he killed.Formed in 1930, the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) was allowed to operate openly during the post-war British Military Administration period as it had been Britain’s ally during the war. However, when the MCP attempted to infiltrate trade unions to exploit popular grievances, the British clamped down on its activities. By May 1948, most Communists had left Singapore for the Federation of Malaya to prepare for armed struggle in the jungles.
