A Black Friday For The Skipper

It was supposed to be the D-day for CheOm. We all believed so. He was challenged to a street fight by a silat exponent from Kampung Seberang and to everyone’s surprise he willingly accepted the challenge. His action soon became the focal point of discussion in The Malay Reserve Land. Close family members reasoned with him on his course of action, to which he strongly admitted that his credibility was at stake and he should not retreat. He explained what really transpired between him and his abuser that he resorted to the course of action. Although most of his close associates and the kampong folks willfully adored him for his bravely, but at the same time they also despised him for his astounding act.

They labeled him as a thickheaded bloke unmindful of the consequences. The fight could turn ugly, and he could be seriously injured or being killed.

Father was upset right on the onset, worried a tragedy would be felled the family. Father most regretted CheOm’s stance to confront a silat exponent for the street fight. Father knew too well that Che’Om was not a fighter, as what most people thought he was. He was just a boaster, a showoff, like to brag on himself. Above all he was a harmless and a loving individual.

Father promised the family that he would at the utmost try to negate the untoward incident by whatever means he could. Mother was worried at the course of action father would undertake, for mother knew too well father’s obstinacy. Mother pleaded that father should not get involved with other people’s business. But father think otherwise. CheOm was a close relative, as well his childhood buddy. In times of troubles CheOm needed all the support from those around him, especially from his relatives and close friends. To that father thought he was duty bound to help whatever he could. The Bugis decent has been known to protect each other in time of needs.

Father reasoned; that person was an outsider. He was arrogant. His horrendous bullying act was most despicable. That type of character had no right to be in our midst. According to father, the challenged fight was only the beginning (the tip of the iceberg). He believed that there was an agenda to it. According to father, there was this well known Maha Guru from Jawa Tegah, Indonesia responsible for the security and the safety of most in Kampung Seberang during the height of the bloody Bintang Tiga rule. He had since returned back to his homeland, leaving a vacuum in the silat hierichy of Kampung Seberang. A Maha Guru was a man of honor, commanded a supreme position and respected by various communities. After he left, the title aspired most of his protégé. The aspirants competing for the honor created splinter group among them. Some resort to bullying tactics to garner new followers, while others indulged using force spreading their influences to the neighboring communities. Father knew, CheOm’s challenger, was one of the aspirants from Kampong Seberang. He was looking for a scrape goat targeting new influence from the Malay Reserve Land.

To most CheOm was a goodhearted person. He was one of the kinds that easily befriended anyone, despite the different in age or status. As he was a generous contributor he was elected as the patron of our village Silat Group. The recognition landed him into trouble.

To begin with, the news of the newly formed Silat Group in our village had reached Kampung Seberang. It gave ideas to this particular silat aspirant. He came to town to harass the new silat leader. He found CheOm.

One fine afternoon while CheOm was having coffee at Pakcik Harun’s Coffee Shop by the pier, this person, for unknown reason insulted him and challenged him to a fight. In jest CheOm told him off, saying that he would only accept a challenge to a fight for a reason. To that the person resigned, but still hang around the Coffee Shop.

CheOm was delighted on the recourse. He called for a round of Kopi O, and started to brag about his skill in shining his leather shoes, using his secret portion of lime mixed with Kiwi Shoe Polish and his own saliva. Jokingly he claimed that his pair of shoes would have a lasting shine, and could at any time be used as a mirror. With that he raised his feet high for others to view, at the same time offering his drinking colleagues to use it as a mirror. However his act was short lived. Unfazed his adversary took the opportunity again to challenge him for a second time. He kicked CheOm’s feet and vigorously stepped on his shining shoes. CheOm quick to retort that it was a childish act. If the so called silat exponent wanted a fight, he should be brave enough to step on his songkok instead. To this the man grabbed CheOm’s songkok and threw it to the ground.

“I dare you, step on it,” CheOm dared the man. “I will if you don’t fight me,” replied the man, for he knew that CheOm was no match for him, but winning the fight meant a lot for his influence in the Malay Reserved Land.

CheOm accepted the challenge.

The time was fixed for the showdown – the following Friday afternoon. The venue was at Kedai Luar by the pier at an open space near the bus stand. The news spread like wild fire. Supporters from the Malay Reserve Land turn out in droves. Never the local mosque overflowed for the day’s Friday noon prayer. Father forbid me to go to town that afternoon. He had me confined to the house under close supervision of mother and my elder sister. Father convinced mother that our kampong folks would be ready to support CheOm, if the fight went out of hand. Secretly I saw father, took along his ‘tumbuk lada’ a small dagger used to be carried in person those days for personal safety. We all respected father’s decision and prayed that no untoward incident be felled him.

So that was what it was.

To our delight, father came back late that night unhurt. Actually there was no fight. After a verbal face-off both parties decided to settled their grouses on the advice of the local OCS ( Officer Incharge Of Police Station). The feud ended with a ‘Majlis Berdamai’ over nasi kunyit and coffee at Harun’s Coffee Shop.

Although the onlookers and supporters from both sides were not happy on the onset as they missed an interesting bout, they were also scared of the police actions as warned earlier by Sargent Mat Dom.

The tide was low for the last boat trip to Kampung Seberang that evening. Nabun the skipper was impatiently waiting at the end of the jetty to ferry those supporters from across river.

And while all the disappointed supporters were walking down the jetty ‘gangway’ into the boat, in jest Nabun poke fun at them by saying:“Masa datang tadi semua garang macam harimau. Masa balik semua tunduk macam pengecut.” (On arrival all looked fierce like tigers, now all lame like losers.)

Nabun’s comment offended one of the over zealous supporter. He gave a hard punch on Nabun’s chest. Nabun staggered and dropped some 30 feet down the jetty. He was stuck into the muddy river bed. Nabun had to be hauled up by using a long rope to the amusement all those along the pier.

It was a black Friday for Nabun the skipper.

HUTAN MELINTANG

The Town As I Saw It

I have lots to write about this small town where I grew up some 67 years ago. I am still fond of it, although presently it has backtracked as it was never before - rustic, underdeveloped, and totally forgotten.

To most ‘hutan’, literary meaning ‘jungle’. It is not so and never was. Before Merdeka it was a thriving feeder Port-of-call for steamers plying the Straits Of Melaka. Hutan Melintang situated on the Perak bank of Bernam River was linked by tarmax road to another costal town Bagan Datoh 16 miles south and Teluk Anson 12 miles north on the upstream of Perak River with connecting trunk railway networks that span the West Coast of Peninsular Malaya, from Singapore in the south to Padang Besar in the north. At Gemas junction the railway lines branched out to Kelantan of the eastern frontier border with Thailand on the East Coast. Prom Padang Besar in the north the trunk railway lines connected to Thailand rail transportation system through the Isthmus Of Kra to Bangkok the capital city of Thailand pulling coaches laden with tin ores, rubber and copra and other goods of trade.

Bernam River spanned from Ulu Bernam some 30 miles to the Straits of Melaka. Both its banks saw a massive early development of Coconut Estates by European Companies, and hundreds of small holders coconut plantations of Malay Reserved Lands. Thus Hutan Melintang seaport handles copra and rubber for world export, through Penang and Singapore. As a triving feeder Port, The British Malaya Administration had put in place complete facilities of a fully fledged seaport town to facilitate the import and exports of goods.

I am sad to note that Hutan Melintang on Post Merdeka period, was not even included in the country’s main stream massive development plan. It has become a rustic town, that nobody cares. It’s more like a remote Bagan, i.e landing area for fisherman catch. It does not even entitled to be named Fisherman Warf, as it lack the amenities to qualify itself to that status. Slowly it lost its luster and faded to obillivion. Personally speaking, the present day Hutan Melintang has taken its toll for the worst.

The once bustling pier busy with double decked and engine powered passenger boats ferrying people and goods from and to nearby village towns dotting the Perak and The Selangor banks of Bernam River, downstream to Sungai Air Tawar, Sungai Tengar, Bagan Sungai Lang, Bagan Sungai Tiang or upstream Kampung Teluk Buluh, Sabak Bernam Town, Kampung Kota, Kampung Sungai Samak and Sepong Estate. or small sampans rowed by boatmen servicing ship captains and sailors of the costal steamers on anchor in the midstream, for a day trip to Teluk Anson fulfilling their lust for entertainments at the local Bars & Brothels after long confinements on the high seas.

I remember, way back in the fifties and the sixties the town was bustling with activities right from the first dawn till late midnight. The arrival of the last shedulled passenger bus service from Teluk Anson passed midnight closed the curtain for the day's activity. Hutan Melintang was a small town well planned by the then BMA Government, putting in place a complete and proper governing infrastructure of a feeder port of call complete with Custom & Excise Office, Marine Police Post, Harbor Master’s Office, an efficient Post Office, Balai Penghulu, including luxury quarters for personnels. I still remember a small one room brick house next to the new Mosque, the Town Padang, the Post Office and the Balai Penghulu; where my buddy Jalaluddin used to live, as his father was a ‘boat man’ attached to the Harbor Master’s Office.

There was this popular waterfront at Kedai Luar where locals as well some passerby travellers of all race mingled freely all day. It was our popular 'lepak' point all evening savoring the scenic view of distant river mouth from wide angles. (Once in 1970. I took a film crew for location shoot RTM Telemovie of the Anjang Aki fame.)

There was a bus stand managed by Pakcik Karim, where local gossip exchanged and passed from ear to ear. Sooner those undated gossips would spread like wild fire to the delights of many. Once a month the MFU (Malay Film Unit) would screen some locally produced Film Newsreels together with some British Newsreels of PatheNews Production to the delights of the locals at an ajecent outdoor clearing. Rohani B the famous Bangsawan Primadona, had for a couple of times passed through for an overnight appearence at some stageshows across the river to the excitements of some local Romeos for a glimpse of her beauty. Celebrities SM Salim, Normah Salim, Ibrahim Din later joined by Mat Kambing on a few occations staged Planta Magrine roadshow campaign event on a small clearing at the foot of the jetty. (A decade later in 1965 I hosted S.M Salim show at Cathay Cinema in Kuala Trengganu for Trengganu Badminton Association Fun Raising Function. During my tenor as senior Directorate Member of RTM, S.M Salim ( now Tan Sri) was a close professional collegue). Others include Wak Malaya the infamous Travelling Shaman (the character as depicited by dramatist Dato'Syed Alwi in his award winning play TOK PERAK.( During my RTM days, I produced TOK PERAK as a special blogbuster Made For TV Movie catapulting Allahyarham Ahmad Marbawi as a renown charactor actor.)


Also next to the jetty was Harun’s Coffee Shop built on still that protruded out to the river, popular with local fishermen, boatmen, and gangster like street urchins. There was also Ah Fatt ice kacang stall, where we used to buy our ‘ais kepal’ to be suck all way home from school and the newly built Dewan Orang Ramai (Town Hall) that could accommodate less that 50 standing audience, watching my first stageplay IBU KANDUNG debut in 1961. (In 1962 IBU KANDUNG was staged on the 60th anniversary SITC/MPSI Tanjung Malim, a royal performance event attended by His Royal Highness The Sultan Of Perak. I was honored as the playwright and as the director of the stageplay.)

At Kedai Dalam there was this Romeo Barber Shop frequent by most for the latest P.Ramlee's or MGRamacandran a South India movie idol's hairstyle cut. Then there was this Chinese Tample by the river bank. At certain time of the year it would stage Chinese Beijing Operas in its makeship theater. It was not the costumed plays staged most afternoon and into the night that attract us, but the beavy of pretty starlets actress and chorus girls, housed in a temporary camps backstage near the river banks. The few would braved the odds to hang around the backstage area, for a sneak preview of those beauties in their dressing rooms. The Chinese Beijing Opera shows performed by The Hongkong Dramatic Troupe was another form of entertainments comming to town, compared to the sheduled twice a week open air travelling cinemas at two ajacent Rubber Estates, or the alternate sunday outdoor screening of western films by Taukeh Ah Chong Family on the compound of his residence, also the once a month MFU screening of Government Propoganda Films, plus of course the of and on events of SM Salim&Gang gags sponsered by PLANTA or the regular visits of Shaman Tok Perak.

Personally speaking, this little town was a springboard to my future life endavours. My gateway town to the world at large. Hutan Melintang was where I grew up, before I venture out to most part of Malaysia (from Perlis to Sabah), and the world at large during the later part of my life.

Originally this town some 2 Square Kilometers in size was divided to 2 parts known to the locals as Kedai Luar and Kedai Dalam. Kedai Luar was more of Government Administrative Centre, and Kedai Dalam consisted of Retail Shopping areas, fisherman’s wharf, stores and residential areas.There was this big Godown Building deviding the 2 town sectors. It was an 'out of bound' bonded zone where import and export goods were stored and checked by the authorities. Taukeh Ah Chong's company managed the godown.To the local he was the richest business tycoon in the region. His new bunglow house complete with 'special green coloured' cemented batminton court stand majestically in the very center of the town awed by many and a landmark to most. As a school boy the white 2 story brick bunglow inspired my wildest dream of living in one. As a village lad, I used to daydream the comfort of bunglow living. I adored the warm interior and the fenced and gated compound as befitting a palatial residence of only the rich and the royals, that no ordinary peasant like most of us would be able to own one for the rest of our lives.

Call it an impulse or a boy's wild daydream that any sound mind dreaded even to share with others. But that was what it was.  In school I once modeled a bunglow house like it, as my palatial residence for my school 'art and craft' project, not realising  'with Allah blessing' some 20 years later I owned one exactly like it in Petaling Jaya at my prime age 36 years old.

Not bad for a kampong boy childhood daydream... eh?