This year’s Malaysia Day on 16 September truly reminded me of its first celebration in 1963, of which I was privileged to partake. Then aged 9, I was among over twenty kids from our Nanga Assam Primary School in Saratok’s interior, joining the parade in Saratok town.
However, the detail of the event remains imprecise hitherto – can’t blame a child for his poor comprehension. Just into its second year of existence, Nanga Assam contingent anxiously joined in the town’s celebration starting a day earlier using ‘Muto Labo’ (a pom-pom motor launch, owned by ‘floating vendor’ Labo) from our Kedap longhouse.
The journey that usually took some three hours slowed at least by another hour due to the poor old boat being overloaded by pupils – some of whom were already in their late teens, though only studying in Primary Two – and parents. My late Uncle Ujih Untan, who accompanied his kids, my two second cousins Sadat (now deceased) and Liap, killed the boredom of the journey by starting a ‘Black Jack’ game ala longhouse and made some of the accompanying parents, my poor dad included, a few ringgit poorer four hours later.
Both my mom and dad accompanied me and elder brother Jon,15. Together with our school headmaster Abunawas and his son Brownie, 6, we took lodge at the top floor of Achu’s shop – Achu and wife stayed with mom and dad in the forest edge of Melupa to escape from the Japanese oppression for a number of weeks in 1941-42 period.
These I recall with sadness as both my parents, Uncle Ujih, his son Sadat, Abunawas and Brownie have been called home to be with the Lord. May they rest in eternal peace! The parade on 16 Sept 1963 was held at the town’s Council Field whereby most school contingents, government departments and others were represented. We were given badges of the 31 August 1963 Merdeka Day, celebrated two weeks earlier. I have kept mine and Jon’s till today.
Last Malaysia Day was celebrated with pomp and gaiety by the scouting fraternity here in Kuching and elsewhere under the headship of newly appointed State Chief Scout Commissioner Captain Zainuddin Tan Sri Datuk Amar Hamdan (Capt Zai) and his team of dedicated scout leaders. From early morning on Sept 15, programmes focusing on Messenger of Peace were held involving the scouts, PDRM (Royal Malaysian Police Force) and The Welfare Department.
This was actually a campaign to address the problem of abuse among children. Both the two bodies were invited to give talks and held exhibitions pertaining to the issue. A total of 14 schools in Kuching partook in the celebration held at the Scout Association Headquarters at Jalan Batu Lintang, Kuching. Other than that, numerous activities were held to spruce up the one-day event.
Among these were competitions for scouts such as Patriotic Colouring Contest for Pengakap Kanak-Kanak, Pengakap Muda/Pengakap Remaja. There was ‘Smart Scout Uniform’ contest two for all the scouting age groups. One interesting item was the exhibition by Drone Unit of Angkatan Perhidmatan Awam Malaysia. Stalls selling food, drinks and other items were also rented out to the interested public members in order to be part of the scouting fraternity’s Malaysia Day do.
Apart from Capt Zai, others present during the day included Deputy Chief Scout Commissioner Haji Mohammad Said Haji Bolhassan, Deputy Chief Scout Commissioner John Lim, a police officer Inspector Nur Ain Wong Bt Abdullah, officials from the Welfare Department and Drone Unit of Angkatan Perhidmatan Awam Malaysia, scout leaders, school teachers, scouts and public members.
Later in the evening more scouting members came to join a big gathering held at the same venue, here in Kuching. Dubbed ‘Malam Indaba’ the evening function was the culmination of the day’s celebration. The night continued with Vigil Camp, which was a reminder of Woodbadge (WB) Part III and Part IVA courses where scouters undergo leadership training overnights at camps, killing the hours by trading jokes – please ask ‘Datuk’ Haji Said for details, ha ha. In 1982, when the WB Part IVA, headed by Peter Lim, was held in Santubong, we had to erect our own camp outside then resthouse there.
During the overnight journey to Teluk Belian (near to present Damai Beach) our group was lucky to find a roofed but incompleted house to stay for the night but the next morning on our journey back I slipped and broke my glasses and had to wait at the beach for at least four hours to be rescued. In the rescue party were then SCSC Safri Awang Zaidell (now Tan Sri), Haji Said and Simon Lee. Luckily, there was a goldsmith in the bazaar at Santubong who managed to repair my glasses’ broken frame. In the evening we traded jokes about our respective overnight trips.
Most interesting was the journey scaling the Santubong Mountain whereby the leeches there really had a field ‘blood sucking’ day with the scouters’ group involved. Our group managed to escape from the blood hungry creatures. I lost my name tag though, apart from the slipping incident that led to the broken glasses. Much later, probably it was in the late 80s or early 90s, few of us were asked to help in conducting a WB Part III course in Sri Aman. I was there with Haji Said, Joseph Chong, Zasran and others, staying at SK Sabu. This is one thing good about scouting, you are equal during camping; there is no boss or subordinate.
The three-night stay at the school was a reminiscene of my boarding school day except the scouting meals were very much better. Before leaving Sri Aman on our last we went to the Tamu. This was where Haji Said earned his ‘Datuship’ – we all agreed to call him ‘Datuk’ to impress the vendors who were obviously eager to nod in total agreement. Later at a nearby coffeeshop the ‘Datukship’ burned slightly our friend’s pocket which he happily managed. For the record, September 16, 1963 was the date when Sarawak, Sabah, Malaya and Singapore partnered the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.
On the birth of Malaysia, then Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was 40 years old – two years later Singapore ceased to be part of the Federation. Born on Sept 16, 1923, Lee reportedly suggested that 16 Sept be declared as Malaysia Day which Malaysian first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Alhaj agreed. Is this true or just a sheer coincidence, one could never tell; afterall dead men tell no tale. Nevertheless, I do hope most people enjoyed their last Malaysia Day celebrations.
