The true history of Independence

A media report quotes former Chief Justice Tun Abdul Hamid as saying that the Malays fought for Independence and the Chinese followed later for their own interests. If the report is true, then Tun Hamid must be imagining thing. From 1939 World War Two to 1999 the Communists laid down arms, how many people of various races died?  British together with  Communists took on the Japanese. After world peace in 1945, why did the British plan to leave?