Looking back, Chin Peng laments that the Malayan National Liberation Army was outgunned
and outwitted by the enemy, but he denies that Templer posed his greatest problem.
One major difficulty was the lack of a “tactical blue print for battlefield success which”,
he states, “had eluded us from the outset of hostilities”.31 On 1 October 1951, ironically a
few days before the death of Gurney deflated British morale, the Party’s Central Committee
moved onto the defensive. It issued a directive which, having identified achievements and
mistakes, switched the priority from prosecuting war to building up the “mass organisation”
and emphasised political activity amongst all ethnic communities.32 Since Chin Peng rejects
the charge that the communists had indulged in indiscriminate terrorism, he denies that the
shift in strategy emanated from a recognition of its futility.33 He does accept, however, that
the new course was a response to the effective methods of Templer’s predecessors. Indeed,
although Chin Peng allows himself to muse on what might have been, had a successful
attempt on Templer’s life followed the assassination of Gurney,34 he judges Templer’s impact
on the course of the struggle as less significant than that of General Harold Briggs, director of
operations in 1950–1. It is noteworthy that Chin Peng endorses the generally accepted view
that the importance of the Briggs Plan is “difficult to overrate”.
Looking back, Chin Peng laments that the Malayan National Liberation Army was outgunnedand outwitted by the enemy, but he denies that Templer posed his greatest problem.One major difficulty was the lack of a “tactical blue print for battlefield success which”,he states, “had eluded us from the outset of hostilities”.31 On 1 October 1951, ironically afew days before the death of Gurney deflated British morale, the Party’s Central Committeemoved onto the defensive. It issued a directive which, having identified achievements andmistakes, switched the priority from prosecuting war to building up the “mass organisation”and emphasised political activity amongst all ethnic communities.32 Since Chin Peng rejectsthe charge that the communists had indulged in indiscriminate terrorism, he denies that theshift in strategy emanated from a recognition of its futility.33 He does accept, however, thatthe new course was a response to the effective methods of Templer’s predecessors. Indeed,although Chin Peng allows himself to muse on what might have been, had a successfulattempt on Templer’s life followed the assassination of Gurney,34 he judges Templer’s impacton the course of the struggle as less significant than that of General Harold Briggs, director ofoperations in 1950–1. It is noteworthy that Chin Peng endorses the generally accepted viewthat the importance of the Briggs Plan is “difficult to overrate”.
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