Continue from My Memoirs (Part 6)
Today is 14 May 2008. 39 years ago (yesterday), my memory lingers on.... especially for the following episode.
May 13th, Year 1969, the unrest came. It was the state of emergency and the darkest part in the history of Malaysia where many Malaysian would like to forget. I could still remember that Mom and Dad, whom had earlier went to an outstation trips to Kuala Lumpur had just managed to reach home a day earlier at Sungai Ujong Road,. They were in a state of panic and went into action buying up provisions and foodstuffs.
I was 12 years old then, and without a care in the world affair, when the radio announced that curfew would be enforced and school will be closed for a definite period. For the first time ever, everyone,(5 families and more than 32 tenants) stays in the house at Sungai Ujong Road, with the iron rail at front gate and windows pulled shut during the weekdays. The roads were deserted for a couple of days and nights and the Gurkhas were patrolling the streets. Those who defy the rules and ‘peep’ out onto the streets were responded with tear-gas fired by the Gurkhas. Our opposite neighbour was actually fired at with tear-gas, when they mischievously went onto the balcony.
I vividly remembered between one nights; our whole neighbor hood had a bad scare. Everybody is shouting ‘they are coming’. All able men in the household are ready on stand by for any eventualities. Dad armed with a thick bamboo stick together with Ah Hor’s father and many others stood guard outside the house on the five foot way. Many others men folks from the neighboring houses also came out in full force and stood guard. Fortunately, nothing untoward happened that night.
In between the non-curfew hours, the elders would run out to near by sundries shop to stock up the food stuffs while brother and I would seek over to Woh Hup Motor to enjoy our ‘swim’ in the bathtub. The curfew went on for a couple of days until the situation return back to normal and thus resuming school
To continue....
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1 comment:
I've been reading your memoirs... very interesting.
I have one question...
I was an Australian soldier posted to the Butterworth Airforce base during the "Konfrontasi" of 1964-66.
I was not aware that Penang had a curfew during 1969 ? May this have been during 1959 during the "Malay Confrontation" ??
I do remember cerfews in Singapore and Malacca in late 1964 but was not aware of any after that date.
Also i wrote an e-mail asking what dates your old photos are from, Because the photo of the Cenotaph appears to be from my time in Penang.
Regards
Ziggy
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