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CONCLUSION<br />
<strong>The</strong> MCP history <strong>as</strong> recorded <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Com<strong>in</strong>tern <strong>Files</strong> may roughly be outl<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>as</strong> follows:<br />
1. Behaviour and correspondence of <strong>the</strong> suspected persons were closely watched not only <strong>in</strong><br />
Malaya but also <strong>in</strong> Shanghai and Hong Kong. Once a relevant person w<strong>as</strong> arrested, all documents<br />
kept <strong>in</strong> his office <strong>as</strong> well <strong>as</strong> residence were seized. Once a letter w<strong>as</strong> <strong>in</strong>tercepted, persons <strong>as</strong> well <strong>as</strong><br />
places addressed <strong>in</strong> a letter were kept watched. When <strong>the</strong> communists sensed <strong>the</strong> trap, <strong>the</strong>y dared<br />
not approach <strong>the</strong> addressed places. <strong>The</strong>refore, even if re-posted after <strong>in</strong>terception, <strong>the</strong>se letters<br />
seldom reached <strong>the</strong> recipients, that is, <strong>the</strong> Com<strong>in</strong>tern or <strong>the</strong> MCP. Documents sent by <strong>the</strong> MCP and<br />
fortunately kept <strong>in</strong> Moscow are <strong>the</strong> ones which survived <strong>the</strong>se strict surveillance.<br />
2. In 1927, <strong>the</strong> First Congress of <strong>the</strong> South Se<strong>as</strong> (Nanyang) <strong>Communist</strong> <strong>Party</strong> w<strong>as</strong> convened<br />
and <strong>the</strong> Provisional Committee w<strong>as</strong> set up. Ano<strong>the</strong>r contemporary document also said that it w<strong>as</strong><br />
<strong>in</strong>augurated <strong>in</strong> early 1928. It w<strong>as</strong> called <strong>the</strong> Nanyang Provisional Committee (NPC), <strong>the</strong> (Ch<strong>in</strong>ese)<br />
<strong>Communist</strong> <strong>Party</strong> of Malay Archipelago, or Malay <strong>Communist</strong> <strong>Party</strong>. On 2 May it convened a<br />
large-scale Enlarged Plenum that l<strong>as</strong>ted for two weeks; subsequently, on 2 July, it held a Plenum.<br />
One of <strong>the</strong>se two plena would be <strong>the</strong> Second Representatives’ Congress of <strong>the</strong> NPC. <strong>The</strong> core of<br />
<strong>the</strong> PC’s leadership w<strong>as</strong> called <strong>the</strong> Presidium (or General Committee <strong>in</strong> C. F. Yong’s account). In<br />
early 1928, <strong>the</strong> NPC implemented so radical a strategy that it encountered serious repression. As a<br />
consequence of this ‘mistake’, <strong>the</strong> NPC w<strong>as</strong> reorganized at <strong>the</strong> Plenum of 2 July 1928. While some<br />
members were expelled from <strong>the</strong> leadership, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs, though reprimanded and demoted,<br />
rema<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> PC. Table 5 shows <strong>the</strong> top leaders of <strong>the</strong> NPC who were mentioned <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Com<strong>in</strong>tern documents and <strong>in</strong> C. F. Yong’s book, <strong>the</strong> two sources be<strong>in</strong>g closely similar. From<br />
Yong’s <strong>in</strong>formation, it is known that most of <strong>the</strong> top leaders were arrested and deported soon after.<br />
Ma<strong>in</strong>ly due to <strong>the</strong> arrests of many NPC leaders, only a few of <strong>the</strong>m were able to cont<strong>in</strong>ue to lead<br />
<strong>the</strong> MCP.<br />
3. Most contemporary Com<strong>in</strong>tern documents stated that <strong>the</strong> MCP w<strong>as</strong> formed at <strong>the</strong> Third<br />
Representatives’ Congress (Conference) of <strong>the</strong> NPC. As for <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>auguration date of <strong>the</strong> MCP, <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>Party</strong> officially claims it to be 30 April 1930. C. F. Yong argues ei<strong>the</strong>r early-mid April or late April<br />
1930 because most of <strong>the</strong> MCP leaders were arrested on 29 April after <strong>the</strong>y had been appo<strong>in</strong>ted. On<br />
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, a Com<strong>in</strong>tern document dated 1 May 1930 showed <strong>the</strong> Notice relat<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong><br />
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