Death of Lau Yew
Death of Lau Yew
Date and place: 16 July 1948, Kajang, Malaya (now Malaysia).
Context: Early in the Malayan Emergency, British security forces and Malayan Police clashed with the Malayan Communist Party (MCP).
Parties and leaders: United Kingdom and Federation of Malaya forces vs the Malayan Communist Party. Leaders: Bill Stafford (security forces) and Lau Yew (MCP).
Forces involved: About 20 police and detectives on the government side; at least 30 MCP fighters.
What happened: Lau Yew was killed after being betrayed by his own bodyguard. In the initial attack, six people were killed. In a counter-attack by about 30 MCP fighters, five Chinese women captured by British and Malay forces were killed.
Casualties: 11 people killed in total, including Lau Yew and another MCP leader. No serious casualties reported on the government side.
Outcome: Commonwealth victory.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:51 (CET).