Muhammad Indera

Muhammad bin Indera(c. 1920– 30 January 1953), nicknamedAhmadand widely known asMat Indera,was a Malay communist leader during theMalayan Emergency,and was a member ofMalayan Communist Party.He was aMuslimreligious teacher ('ulama') before theOccupation of JapaninMalaya.He was renowned for leading 180 communists to launch a guerrilla assault on a police station during theBukit Kepong Incident,causing deaths of almost all police officers in the station. Following the guerilla attack, the ruling British authorities placed aM$75,000 bounty on his head – a large sum of money at the time, equivalent to approximately RM500,000 in 2020 ringgit.

He was said to be one of the descendants of Datuk Bentara Husin Lela, a hero ofSiak Sri Inderapurawho was once Sultan Sharif's senior commander inSiak.

On the night of 14 October 1952, Mat Indera was invited to a "meeting" by some acquaintances in Kampung Seri Medan, at which he was servedtempehand coffee laced withDatura.After being incapacitated, he was handed over to the British, who charged him with crimes related to the Bukit Kepong incident. Mat Indera was subsequently found guilty and hanged at 11 pm on 30 January 1953 inTaiping Prison.There was another version of Mat Indera which discovered a different motive when he joined the communist guerilla attack. This version can be found in a book entitled Mat Indera: Pejuang atau Petualang published in Malaysia.

Controversial statement by PAS Deputy President

Main article:Mohamad Sabu § Statement over the Bukit Kepong incident

On 21 August 2011,Mohamad Sabu,Deputy President ofPAS,made a controversial statement saying that Mat Indera, the leader of the communists during the Bukit Kepong Incident, was a national hero for fighting againstBritish rule.