Malaya's Secret Police 1945-60: The Role of the Special Branch in the Malayan Emergency

Following soon after the Japanese surrender in World War II, the whole country of Malaya was once more turned upside down and the lives of the people changed during the tumultuous years of the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960). The war against the Malayan Communist Party, which was determined to overthrow the Malayan government, involved the whole population in one form or another. This book analyses the pivotal role of the Malayan Police's Special Branch, the government's supreme intelligence agency, in defeating the communist uprising and safeguarding the security of the country.

The book shows for the first time how the Special Branch was organised and how it worked to provide the security forces with political and operational intelligence. The book represents a major contribution to the understanding of the Malayan Emergency. It will be of interest to students of Malay(si)a's recent history, as well as to those interested in counterinsurgency operations in other parts of the world.