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w<strong>as</strong> founded <strong>in</strong> early 1928, 11 <strong>the</strong> <strong>Malayan</strong> AIL <strong>in</strong> 1928, 12 and <strong>in</strong> 1932, 13 and <strong>the</strong> MCL <strong>in</strong> 1932. 14 In<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r words, <strong>the</strong>se must have been <strong>the</strong> same organization, under different names, that w<strong>as</strong> led by<br />
Boo. But, accord<strong>in</strong>g to C. C. Ch<strong>in</strong>, who is well versed <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> MCP history, he <strong>in</strong>formed me that<br />
<strong>the</strong>se were different organisations commonly led by Boo. And <strong>the</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>ese name of <strong>the</strong> MCL w<strong>as</strong><br />
actually 马 来 亚 共 产 主 义 者 同 盟 . 15 No matter whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> AIL and <strong>the</strong> MCL were same or<br />
different, <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> faction’s criticism w<strong>as</strong> directed at Boo’s <strong>the</strong>ory.<br />
By <strong>the</strong> account of Zhang M<strong>in</strong>g J<strong>in</strong> ( 张 明 今 ), one of <strong>the</strong> MCP leaders <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> late 1930s and <strong>the</strong> first<br />
half of <strong>the</strong> 1940s, Boo had <strong>in</strong>sisted that <strong>as</strong> <strong>the</strong> consciousness of <strong>the</strong> worker-pe<strong>as</strong>ant m<strong>as</strong>ses of<br />
Malaya w<strong>as</strong> still low, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Party</strong> should work on <strong>in</strong>tellectuals and <strong>the</strong> petit bourgeoisie first, and only<br />
after deploy<strong>in</strong>g a m<strong>as</strong>s movement like <strong>the</strong> May 4th Movement of Ch<strong>in</strong>a, work on <strong>the</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g cl<strong>as</strong>s.<br />
Lai Teck, who had just been <strong>in</strong>filtrated <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> MCP by <strong>the</strong> Special Branch and w<strong>as</strong> rapidly ris<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Party</strong>, <strong>in</strong>stigated <strong>the</strong> CC to elim<strong>in</strong>ate Boo and his group. 16<br />
But to Ma N<strong>in</strong>g, propaganda head of <strong>the</strong> AIL, <strong>the</strong> AIL’s objective w<strong>as</strong> to unite not only Ch<strong>in</strong>ese<br />
but also Malays and Indians <strong>in</strong> order to liberate all <strong>Malayan</strong> nationals. As Boo <strong>in</strong>sisted that a<br />
revolution by workers and <strong>in</strong>tellectuals w<strong>as</strong> necessary, and a worker-pe<strong>as</strong>ant struggle w<strong>as</strong> not, he<br />
w<strong>as</strong> executed <strong>as</strong> an anti-party element. 17<br />
Why were <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terpretations of <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> objective of <strong>the</strong> dissident group different? <strong>The</strong> Com<strong>in</strong>tern<br />
document noted that <strong>the</strong> dissidents opposed <strong>the</strong> new policy of an anti-imperialist united front. <strong>The</strong><br />
AIL, led by Boo, would have adopted this new policy. <strong>The</strong> ma<strong>in</strong>stream faction of <strong>the</strong> MCP, led by<br />
Lai Teck, might have <strong>in</strong>formed <strong>the</strong> Com<strong>in</strong>tern <strong>in</strong> 1942 that <strong>the</strong> anti-imperialist policy w<strong>as</strong> its own<br />
policy because it w<strong>as</strong> known later that <strong>the</strong> Com<strong>in</strong>tern <strong>in</strong> 1935 regarded <strong>the</strong> anti-imperialist policy <strong>as</strong><br />
be<strong>in</strong>g correct. It is now known that Lai Teck elim<strong>in</strong>ated all capable opponents <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Party</strong> by<br />
secretly supply<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>formation on <strong>the</strong>m to <strong>the</strong> Special Branch which resulted <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir arrests, and by<br />
<strong>as</strong>s<strong>as</strong>s<strong>in</strong>ations. 18<br />
3. Reformation of <strong>the</strong> Com<strong>in</strong>tern<br />
This portion is a summary of Kurihara’s argument.<br />
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