The story of a psy-warrior - C.C. Too by Lim Cheng Leng

The author is a dear friend of mine. Before he passed away not so long ago, he managed to have his book published. It was a great honour on my part to review his book upon his request. May his soul rest in peace. Mr Lim is a man of character who has lived long and experienced much. A life well lived, full of adventures which most of us young 'uns know little about.





THE war against Communism in Malaya and later Malaysia raged on
immediately after 1945 when World War II ended with the Japanese
surrender.
The Communists, who played a role in fighting the Japanese, subsequently
emerged from the jungle and into the forefront of the political arena of a
war-weary nation.
At stake was the political future of a multi-racial society.
In the midst of this tussle between the two systems on opposite ends of
the political spectrum walked a quiet man who was to play a pivotal role
in the future of his country.
That man was Too Chee Chew, who later became better known as C.C. Too.
This is his story as told by a close colleague and friend who battled
alongside him for the hearts and minds of people who were scarred mentally
by the ravages of a merciless war which left behind many widows, orphans,
and mothers without children.
Lim Cheng Leng, former head of the Malaysian Special Branch Psywar Desk,
has reached deep into the recesses of his keen memory to resuscitate long-
forgotten facts.
The implications of his book's revelations are wide-ranging and far-
reaching on subjects such as subterfuge, psychological warfare,
indoctrination and infiltration of the mind.
In its highest form, the war C.C. Too fought was a war without weapons.
The vanquished vanished either into the jungle or across another border
almost never to be seen again.
This concise biography does not have the pyrotechnics of a Tom Clancy
novel, nor the suspense of a John Grisham. What it has, abundantly, are
facts culled from Lim's close association with Too and his deep knowledge
of the man.
It also offers untold stories, till now, of what went on behind
historical events like the assassination of British High Commissioner
Henry Gurney in 1951, the Batu Caves Massacre of 1942, and the Baling
Talks of 1955 between Communist leader Chin Peng and Tunku Abdul Rahman.
We learn how it was acting on C.C. Too's advice that gained the Tunku the
upper hand in the Baling Talks.
What made Too such a formidable opponent against the Reds could be
traced to his beginnings as the grandson of Too Nam who was the tutor of
Dr Sun Yat Sen, the founder of modern China.
His childhood sheds considerable light on the formative years of a man
who was compelled to walk destiny's path as a psy-warrior.
Too Chee Chew was born in Kuala Lumpur in 1920 and studied up till
Junior Middle Standard in a Chinese school.
Later he continued his education at the Methodist Boys' School where he
proved to be a brilliant student.
His scholastic achievements included being champion for three
consecutive years - 1936, 1937 and 1938 - for competitive scholarships.
His successes were by no means confined to the classroom. C.C. Too also
featured prominently in sports where he was captain of Horley House.
He excelled in public speaking - something that would hold him in good
stead in the ensuing years.
According to Lim, Too had the ability to see "the other dimension".
Although this might seem bizarre related to a person of Too's reputation
and stature, Lim is convinced Too "could see the spirits but he would not
say so to avoid scaring the people around him".
Perhaps this could account in a small way for his enormous success
against the Communists.
Two chapters in the book deserve special attention. These are the ones
on the art of psychological warfare - tactical and strategic.
Lim's deliberations are no doubt an encapsulation of Too's strategies.
Nonetheless, they push open that oft-shut window of secrets and lets
through a beam of knowledge to shine upon the public. Now some of the
questions which students of war frequently ask are answered.
Lim has done his best to present the facts as they revolved around C.C.
Too.
But one gets the nagging feeling that there's much more about Too that
has been left unanswered, deliberately.
His mission to Singapore in 1962 makes for compelling reading. Overall,
this final chapter of the book could be considered its piece de
resistance.
The icing on the cake is Too's impromptu speech, quoted verbatim here,
given in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on October 15, 1962, to staff and
officers of the US Army Command and General Staff College.
His talk was on psychological warfare, and you would really have to read
it at least twice to appreciate its worth.
The first time to be thrilled, the second time to absorb and learn.
Lim Cheng Leng has done students of history a great favour in uncovering
some of this country's deepest secrets in The Story of a Psy-Warrior.
The book also comes with a generous display of photographs taken from
C.C. Too's personal collection, some of which are not found even in the
national archives.
It certainly deserves to be read.