Tuesday, August 31, 2010

On the eve of Merdeka 1957 – my blurry images.

 

I was 5 years old when the country named Malaya gained her independence. At 5 years old ,I bet the recollection of the day was hazy and not that sharp.

I could faintly remember the tuan orang putih of the estate in Sg Ular giving us rations of tinned food.And there were lots of Mat Salehs and quite a number of them got married to the anak dara of the estate.

Mother told of one maid who was married to orang putih and migrated to England.After the demise of her husband she returned to Kulim to build a sprawling bungalow.And she was laden with jewelry that they make music when she moved.

But I did recollect that at the Town Padang in Kulim there was a ceremony of sort. Or is it mixed with the recollection of Malaya having her first election.

Someone struck a memory.Pak Chat with the paper umbrella and the kain pelikat made a memorable figure.So too was the kepala lembu for the party symbol.A lady gave a blazing speech and I couldnt make out what the content was.

Actually,I had mixed the memory of the merdeka day and the pilihanraya.

But one thing I could remember though……

Well ,those born before merdeka….lived to tell the tale of many mat salehs in our midst.Where we called them “tuan”.Especially in Kulim where the estates and tin mines were flourishing.

Dan selepas merdeka,Tuan Tuan went back to England.Kat sana makcik lihat mereka seperti kita….ada yang jadi pengemas bilik dan ada yang mabuk hingga tidur dalam longkang.

Eh,what has Merdeka  to do with my writing of the English gentlemen?

Actually,I cant remember personally the auspicious moment when Tunku Abdul Rahman proclaimed Merdeka,Merdeka in KL.

Even though I was born before 1957.

 

Forgive me for writing something so jumpy here and there.Ngantuk bung! ho ho.So the blurry images.

 

Written at 1.20 am,Nescafe punya fasal,mata terkebil kebil.Dari dok membilang siling,I knocked the keyboard with my 2 fingers.

3 comments:

  1. Cikgu..
    indah kenangan bg anak2 yg lahir sebelum merdeka...
    banyak perubahan yang dapat cikgu rasakan.. seronok kan? sebab saya yang lahir tahun 64 pun rasa seronok sgt melihatkan perubahan dalam negara kita....

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  2. Ingat ingat lupa.Tapi satu dpdnya adalah kereta lembu.Dan naik sampan balik kampung di Yan.

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  3. I was 5, too, in 1957. At least you have some blurry images. mine is total darkness.

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