The establishment of the Federation of Malaya coupled with British crackdown on the Malay left-wing led the PKMM to disband in 1948, though many of its members would go on to play important roles in Malayan politics.

[3] The central committee consisted of: PKMM's inaugural conference ran from 30 November 1945 to 4 December 1945 and featured a wide variety of activists from diverse backgrounds including communists, royalists, nationalists, Islamic preachers, socialists, students and proponents of Malay culture and customs.

[4] The congress agreed that PKMM would be guided by the following goals: Mokhtaruddin Lasso's decision to leave Malaya for Indonesia in 1946[6] saw Burhanuddin Al-Helmy assume the position of party leader.

API was the first organisation to be banned and nationalist leaders such as Ahmad Boestamam, Ishak Haji Muhammad, Katijah Sidek and Burhanuddin Al-Helmy were imprisoned.

Others such as Shamsiah Fakeh, Wahi Anuwar and Musa Ahmad fled to the jungles and joined the Communist Party of Malaya and its guerilla war against the British.