(2004) Portraying the real Yap Ah Loy

Filmmakers interested in producing a TV series on Yap Ah Loy have been urged by one of his descendants to do adequate research so that the true story can be portrayed, writes K.W. MAK.


PROUD DESCENDANT: Tam showing a portrait of Yap Ah Loy from the book The Story of Kuala Lumpur (1857-1939) by J.M. Gullick.

SOME people might call Yap Ah Loy a “gangster”, but to great-granddaughter Irene Tam Mun Choong, he was a national hero who helped build a nation and was a good man.

Tam, who is a direct descendant of Yap Ah Loy’s first son, Hon Chin, said she wants to speak up about her great-grandfather because of the recent interest by filmmakers in making a TV series on him.

“I don’t want all these people to make a film about my great-grandfather without doing research and making a movie that’s more about entertainment than history,” said Tam, a former teacher at La Salle Primary School in Sentul.

“I never knew him personally, but my mother, Yap Nyet Foong, used to tell me all sorts of stories about him.”

Tam said the filmmakers couldn’t get someone like Chow Yuen Fatt to play Yap Ah Loy because he was “a man of medium height”.

“My mother said he possessed a powerful and commanding voice and that he was so strong he could support a sack of rice on the palms of his outstretched hands.

“His hands were supposed to be very long, too, almost to his knees when he stood up.”

Yap Ah Loy married a Malacca Chinese girl and had three sons and a daughter, said Tam. The first son was Hon Chin and the second Loong Chin.

Tam doesn’t know who the third son was but the fourth was a daughter named Kim Neo. There was a fifth child, who was adopted, according to Tam.

“There was a story about my grandfather Hon Chin. When he was born, Yap Ah Loy had his fortune read by mediums and was told that this son would squander his fortune away,” said Tam.

“Great-grandfather was actually contemplating on shooting his own son because of this omen but, luckily for grandfather and myself, the wife got some men to kidnap Hon Chin and hide him in Malacca, where she was from.

“The predictions came true, though. Hon Chin really did squander the fortune away, spending lavishly on women.

“I remember I had many step-grandmothers, one of whom was Japanese and who was very, very kind to me.


Photograph of Tam's grandmother, Yap Nyet Foong.

“My late mother later told me that my Japanese step-grandmother sent most of the money and gifts that grandfather gave her to Japan so she could have a comfortable life should my grandfather leave her,” said Tam, who guessed that the woman eventually did return to Japan.

To illustrate just how much was squandered, Tam said that at one time, Yap Ah Loy owned 12,000 acres of land along the road between Damansara and Kuala Lumpur.

“A fraction of this was used to plant tapioca and he (Yap Ah Loy) engaged an English engineer to run his tapioca flour factory.”

Continuing the story of Hon Chin, Tam said he had two children, a son, Yap Swee Lin, and Yap Nyet Foong, Tam’s mother. She said Swee Lin had three wives.

“This is the lesson that all men should learn – stay monogamous! I know that I can still claim to be a direct descendant of Yap Ah Loy because my mother was the daughter and not the son who took many wives and concubines.”

Tam, whose real name is Hue Kim Yen (her father's name was Hue Fon Lim), said she took her husband’s name after a frustrating encounter with bank staff who refused to honour cheques cashed to “Mrs Tam Mun Choong”.

“The name has been in my IC ever since,” said Tam.

Tam recalled that one of the only heirlooms to remain with the family was a giant portrait of Yap Ah Loy. But with the extended family being so large, she said, she has lost track of many of her relatives and who had the portrait now or if it still existed.

“I recall a time when I saw two boys fighting by the roadside only to have the parents show up and reveal that the two were cousins,” said Tam, to illustrate just how far apart the extended family had grown.

On the “gangster” label that some quarters tagged him with, Tam said such people should refer to the Oxford Dictionary before they slapped it on a great man like Yap Ah Loy.

“He helped build a jail and imposed punishment on criminals. This denotes that he was a law-abiding person.”

Tam said Yap Ah Loy, who was the founder of Kuala Lumpur, hardly had anything left to help future generations remember the great man he was except for a short road named after him, and the Sin Sze Sin Ya temple in Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, which houses a statue of him.

“I hope the film will eventually give him the recognition he rightly deserves,” she said.

(Star Online, Sunday, 6 Jun 2004)

(1946) Japs killed 1,654 people in Pudu Jail

JAPS KILLED 1,654 PEOPLE IN PUDU GAOL IN 2½ YEARS

Everybody has probably heard enough of horror statistics under the Japanese regime - but it may be of interest to bring to light one cold fact hitherto unpublished.

From 12th April, 1943 to 15th Sept. 1945 - 1,654 people died in Pudu Gaol including 281 who were hanged.

(Indian Daily Mail, 7 June 1946)

(1989) Pondok Pak Ya Tragedy

Razed school in Kedah 'put up illegally'

ALL the 17 buildings of a religious school in Kedah where 27 girls were burned to death recently were put up illegally.

The Star reported today that the Sekolah Menengah Ugama Taufiqiah Khairiah al"Halimiah in Padang Lumut did not submit any plans for the buildings.

Some of them were put up in 1971, the newspaper quoted Mr Zulkifli Haji Ismail, president of the Yan District Council in Alor Star, as saying.

He said the private school should have submitted proper building plans by architects and consultants to the council.

The 17 buildings included the eight hostel blocks that were gutted by the fire on Friday, a kitchen and some classrooms.

School principal Mr Abdul Manan Yahya said a student's candle light caused the fire. She was believed to have lit the candle to do some reading.

(New Paper, 25 September 1989)


'Abah ingin mati syahid'

NURUL FATIHAH SULAINI

YAN - ”Jika ada ruang, abah ingin mati syahid seperti kakak-kakak yang sudah menjadi syuhada,” kata Abdul Muin Abdul Manan tentang luahan hati arwah ayahnya, Abdul Manan Yahya, 61, yang pernah menjadi mudir Sekolah Menengah Agama (SMA) Taufikiah Khairiah

Al-Halimiah atau lebih dikenali Pondok Pak Ya di Padang Lumat, di sini, sebelum meninggal dunia.

Abdul Muin, 33, berkata, Allahyarham antara individu yang paling terkesan dengan peristiwa tragis pada 22 September 1989, apabila berlaku kebakaran di asrama puteri hingga mengorbankan 27 nyawa kerana menjadi mudir semasa tragedi itu berlaku.

“Abah menjadi mudir sejak 1984 sehingga 2007 dan selepas itu tetap meneruskan tugas sebagai tenaga pengajar di madrasah ini serta dilantik sebagai ahli jawatankuasa lembaga tadbir sekolah.

“Jika diikutkan, abah seorang yang tegas terutamanya dalam soal pelajaran. Arwah kerap kali berpesan kepada anak serta anak didik supaya menghormati ulama dan sekiranya tidak tahu tentang sesuatu perlu belajar,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, arwah bapanya meninggal dunia jam 11.35 malam semalam di kediaman keluarganya setelah beberapa bulan tidak sihat.

“Abah mula dimasukkan ke Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah (HSB) pada 28 Ogos lalu dan ditahan beberapa hari.

“Bagaimanapun sejak dua minggu lalu dia sekali lagi ditahan di wad. Disebabkan kesihatannya makin merosot, kami buat keputusan bawanya pulang ke rumah,” katanya.

Abdul Muin berkata, arwah bapanya baru sahaja dilantik menjadi imam di Masjid Al Ubudiah, Padang Lumat pada September lalu dan sempat berkhidmat dalam tempoh dua bulan sahaja.

Dalam pada itu, Allahyarham anak ketujuh dari 11 beradik yang juga anak kepada bekas mudir pondok berkenaan iaitu Tuan Guru Haji Yahya Al Junaid.

Arwah meninggalkan 11 anak dan balu, Che Intan Abu Bakar, 54.

(SINAR ONLINE, 26 NOVEMBER 2015)

(1894) There is buried here a wild elephant who in defence of his herd

THE ELEPHANT AND THE RAILWAY TRAIN.

CURIOUS COLLISION IN PERAK.

"BAAD FOR THE COO!"

It is communicated to the Singapore Free Press from the Colonial Secretary's office that on the night of the 17th a train from Tapah came into collision with an elephant on the line. The engine and one carriage left the rails. The elephant, which was a tusker, was killed. No one in the train was injured.

It will require two days work to reestablish traffic on the line.

(The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 19 September 1894)





ACCIDENT ON THE KINTA VALLEY RAILWAY.

A TRAIN COLLIDES WITH AN ELEPHANT.

The train that left Tapah for Teluk Anson on Monday afternoon last ran into a full grown elephant close to the third mile. The engine and tender were thrown off the rails and the elephant was killed. Fortunately the passengers escaped without injury. The elephant was a fine old "tusker" and we learn that his skull and tusks will eventually adorn the Museum. This was probably one of the three animale that escaped during the recent elephant drive at Chanderiang.

Pioneer.

(Daily Advertiser, 25 September 1894)

(1968) Tun Razak's twenty-five day trip

A switch from Commonwealth

Trip in search of new allies


46-year old Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and Tun Rahah Noah visits Juliana of the Netherlands

By Felix Abisheganaden

KUALA LUMPUR, Monday

Tun Abdul Razak's 25-day trip to five European nations beginning tomorrow will mark the beginning of a gradual decline in Malaysia's reliance on Commonwealth countries alone.

He said today: "In the past we have been dependent on Commonwealth countries. We have now to depend on other countries; our needs have grown."

Besides economic assistance, Tun Razak will examine modern European weapons for the Malaysian armed forces. He is taking his Chief of Staff, Brigadier Ismail bin Ibrahim with him.

Talks in India

The Deputy Prime Minister will visit Germany, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Denmark before going on to Britain.

On his way out, Tun Razak will stop in New Delhi for talks with the Indian President, Dr. Zakir Hussein, and the Indian Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi.

At an eye-of-departure press conference, Tun Razak confirmed that the five-power talks on defence would begin here on June 10.

He will discuss this topic with Britain's Defence Minister, Mr. Denis Healey, and speak generally with the Commonwealth Secretary, Mr. George Thomson.

Johari acting

During his absence, Inche Khir Johari will take on the additional portfolio of Defence, Senator Ghafar Baba, the Ministry of Rural Development, and Inche Hamzah bin Dato Abu Samah (assistant Minister), the Ministry of Home Affairs.

At the start of the conference, Tun Razak thanked all members of the Aid Malaysia Club for their past assistance to Malaysia.

"We thank them for the help they have given us in our economic development," he said.

One of the main objects of his trip was to impress upon European leaders Malaysia's economic and other requirements and seek further aid.

"Up to now," he said, "Our main sources of aid have always been Britain, Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries and more recently the U.S.

"Now we have to look for aid - and closer friendship - with other countries."

Malaysia's foreign policy, he stressed had always been one of friendliness with "those who wish to be friendly with us."

To push through Malaysia's economic and development plans the country would have to get more assistance from as many different sources as possible.

Tun Razak will call on President Luebke of Germany, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, President De Gaulle, Prince Albert of Belgium, and Denmark's Prime Minister, Mr. Hilmar Baunsgaard.

On his flight from Delhi to Copenhagen, Tun Razak will stop over for an hour in the Soviet town of Tashkent.

Tun Razak said he had several "specific projects" in mind for discussion.

Invitations

One of these was a commercial dockyard which he would like to see established at Port Swettenham. He will study possibilities in Germany and Britain.

In reply to a question, he said plans for his tour had been drawn up long ago and had nothing to do with the accelerated British withdrawal from here.

The invitations had come one by one. He decided to cover all the countries in one tour instead of several.

His wife, Toh Puan Raha, who will accompany him, will have her own programme. She will meet members of social welfare and women's organisations.

This evening Wisma Putra announced that a meeting of officials would precede the June 10 defence talks.

"In the meantime," the statement added, "consultations will continue at diplomatic level regarding arrangements for the conference."

(The Straits Times, 30 April 1968)

Bilateral 'blue' ties

Blue signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice in the American flag and blue symbolise the unity of the Malaysian people in our Jalur Gemilang. 

Najib: Positive and friendly meeting at White House with Trump

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is greeted by US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington September 12, 2017. — Bernama pic

WASHINGTON, Sept 13 ― Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has described his discussions with President Donald Trump at the White House yesterday afternoon as a “positive and friendly meeting”.

Both leaders were jovial and seen shaking hands several times, while grabbing each other’s forearms as they were walking in and out of the West Wing meeting room.

“The last time we met (was), some years ago, we teamed up to play golf. That was a successful meeting for us as our team won.

“And our discussions this afternoon were very much about how our two great nations can continue winning by working closely together,” Najib said at a dinner hosted by the US-Asean Business Council and US Chamber of Commerce at the St Regis hotel here.

Najib arrived at the White House at 11.45am and was greeted by President Trump at the entrance of the West Wing building.

Najib and Trump held bilateral talks with their respective senior top ministers and advisers before both leaders had a four-eyed meeting at the Oval Office.

Najib's visit to the White House, which lasted over an hour, was at the invitation of President Trump.

An official who was at the White House said, after the meeting, Trump accompanied Najib to the door to send him off, instead of them departing at the main floor where the president would normally send-off visiting leaders.

“Trump was reminded by one of his officers of this, but he (president) told him that he will accompany PM Najib downstairs to depart. Trump said ‘he (PM) is my friend’,” according to the official.

At the dinner, the Prime Minister said last year’s trade between Malaysia and the US amounted to nearly US$33 billion (RM138 billion).

“We need to regain that level of interaction as there are huge opportunities for our two countries to explore, and great benefits to come from closer trade and investment ties,” he said.

Najib said that last year alone, American companies brought in RM5 billion, or more than US$1 billion, of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Malaysia.

The US is the fifth largest foreign investor in Malaysia, with a total of RM36 billion, or US$8.5 billion, worth of FDI stock.

Present were US-Asean Business Council president and chief executive officer Alexander Feldman, senior vice-president for Asia at the US Chamber of Commerce Tami Overby and US Ambassador to Malaysia Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir. ― Bernama

(Malay Mail Online, Wednesday September 13, 2017)

Najib urged Trump to stop the systematic persecution of the Rohingya

By MARK LANDLER


President Trump and other top American officials, left, met at the White House with Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia and his delegation, right, on Tuesday. CreditDoug Mills/The New York Times

...

Behind closed doors, the prime minister urged the United States to put pressure on neighboring Myanmar — including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of the elected civilian government — to stop the systematic persecution of the Rohingya, its minority Muslim population.

Mr. Trump, a senior administration official said, expressed anger over the military crackdown and discussed ways to pressure authorities in Myanmar. There are no current plans for Mr. Trump to call Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, this official said, but he did not rule out a future conversation.

...

Richard C. Paddock contributed reporting from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

(The New York Times, SEPT. 12, 2017)

Remarks by President Trump and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of Malaysia Before Bilateral Meeting

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary

Cabinet Room

12:11 P.M. EDT

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. It’s great to have the Prime Minister of Malaysia and his very distinguished delegation with us today. We’re talking about trade -- very large trade deals. We’re working on one deal where between 10 and 20 billion dollars’ worth of Boeing jets are going to be purchased, General Electric engines will be purchased, and many other things.

Also, Malaysia is a massive investor in the United States in the form of stocks and bonds, and the stock exchange. And they have to be very happy because we’re hitting new highs on almost a weekly basis. And so we’re very proud of our stock market and what’s happened since I became President. So I congratulate you on those investments.

But I just want to say, it’s an honor to have you here. It’s an honor to have your delegation with us. I believe you’ll be at the United Nations next week, and a lot of folks are going to be at the United Nations next week. It should be an exciting week, and we look very much forward to that.

But I want to thank you very much for all of the investment you’ve made in the United States. Also, the Prime Minister has a major role in not allowing ISIS -- or, as you say, Daesh -- and others to exist. And he’s been very, very strong on terrorism in Malaysia, and a great supporter from that standpoint. So that’s a very important thing to the United States.

He does not do business with North Korea any longer, and we find that to be very important. We had a vote yesterday on sanctions. We think it’s just another very small step -- not a big deal. Rex and I were just discussing -- not big. I don’t know if it has any impact, but certainly it was nice to get a 15-to-nothing vote. But those sanctions are nothing compared to what ultimately will have to happen.

So thank you everyone for being here, and we appreciate it. Mr. Prime Minister, it’s a great honor to have you in the United States and in the White House. And thank you everyone for being here. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Would you like to say something?

PRIME MINISTER RAZAK: Thank you very much, Mr. President, for your invitation for me and members of my delegation to meet with you at the White House. I want to say that we come here with a strong value proposition to put on the table.

Number one, we want to help you in terms of strengthening the U.S. economy. I come with three specific proposals. Number one, we intend to increase the number of Boeing planes to be purchased by MAS. We are committed to 25 planes of the 737 MAX 10, plus eight 787 Dreamliners. And there is a strong probability -- not possibility – probability that we will add 25 more 737 MAX 10 in the near future. So within five years, the deal will be worth beyond $10 billion. That’s one. We will also try to persuade AirAsia to purchase GE engines.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Great.

PRIME MINISTER RAZAK: Secondly, we have Employees Provident Fund, which is a major pension fund in Malaysia. They’ve got quite a big sum of capital to be exported. They have invested close to $7 billion, in terms of equity, in the United States. And they intend to invest three to four additional billion dollars to support your infrastructure redevelopment in the United States.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Great.

PRIME MINISTER RAZAK: And thirdly, our sovereign fund, Khazanah, they have an office in Silicon Valley. They have invested about $400 million, in terms of high-tech companies, and they intend to increase that investment as well.

Secondly, the other goal of your administration, Mr. President, which is to make the United States safe -- and with that, the world safe -- we are committed to fight Daesh, IS, Al-Qaeda, Abu Sayyaf -- you name it. They are the enemy of the United States, they are also the enemy of Malaysia, and we will do our part to make sure that our part of the world is safe.

We will also contribute in terms of the ideological warfare because you need to win the hearts and minds. And the key to it is to support moderate and progressive Muslim regimes and governments around the world, because that is the true face of Islam; that is the authentic face of Islam. The more you align with progressive and moderate regimes, the better it would be in terms of winning the hearts and minds of the Muslim world.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Right.

PRIME MINISTER RAZAK: So, Mr. President, thank you once again. The United States has always been our partner for a long, long time. And this year is our 60th anniversary of our relationship, and I hope that today’s meeting will make it even stronger in the years to come.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

END

12:18 P.M. EDT

(September 12, 2017)


Readout of the President’s Meeting with General Zulkifeli of Malaysia


President Donald J. Trump poses with General Zulkifeli bin Muhammad Zin, left, Director General of the Malaysian National Security Council, and Malaysian Ambassador Zulhasnan Rafique, right, Thursday, August 24, 2017, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C. (Official White House photograph by Joyce N. Boghosian)

On August 24, 2017, President Donald J. Trump met with General Zulkifeli bin Muhammad Zin, Director General of the Malaysian National Security Council, accompanied by Malaysia’s Ambassador to the United States, Zulhasnan Rafique, and expressed the gratitude of the United States for the Malaysian Coast Guard, Royal Malaysian Navy, and Royal Malaysian Air Force’s help in recovering the fallen United States sailors of the USS John S. McCain. The President also told General Zulkifeli that he looks forward to welcoming Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to the White House on September 12. General Zulkifeli was in Washington, D.C., to meet with Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs LTG H.R. McMaster. Noting the 60th anniversary of United States-Malaysia relations, LTG McMaster and General Zulkifeli discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties, particularly in trade and investment, as well as defense and security cooperation. A stronger partnership in these areas will help the two countries address shared challenges and promote regional peace and stability, including the fight to defeat ISIS and other extremist networks.

(August 25, 2017)


Statement from the Press Secretary on the Visit of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of Malaysia

President Donald J. Trump will welcome Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of Malaysia to the White House on September 12. President Trump looks forward to celebrating the 60th anniversary of United States-Malaysia bilateral relations and discussing ways to strengthen and broaden our bilateral relationship and expand regional cooperation with one of America’s closest partners in Southeast Asia.

(August 23, 2017)

(1977, 1980) Tanjung Kidurong

Up and coming growth centre in Sarawak

KUCHING, Tues. - The construction of the Tanjung Kidurong port and the completion of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Bintulu is expected to lead to massive projects in the area turning it into an attractive growth centre in Sarawak.

According to Temenggung Datuk Abang Haji Safuani, a study has been undertaken with the assistance of the Australian government to plan for the Bintulu township.

The major feature of the project would be to develop Bintulu into a modern town capable of sustaining the anticipated growth of Sarawak's northern region. Temenggung Datuk Abang was opening the State Legislative Assembly here.

The Tanjong Kidurong port which is being built to provide special berthing facilities for LNG tankers is expected to be completed by 1980.

The port has been declared a Federal port following an agreement between the Federal government and the Sarawak government.

It is expected to serve as an important outlet for northern Sarawak and facilitate the overall development of the state.

The M$2.6-billion LNG plant meanwhile is expected to begin operations by 1982.

The plant would draw gas for liquefication from the Central Luconia area, and is expected to generate a host of other economic and industrial projects.

Shareholders of the LNG project are Petronas, 65 per cent, and Shell International Gas and Mitsubishi Corporation, 17.5 per cent each.

It is understood that plans are under way to implement several housing schemes and build new hotels in the town. The area has also been earmarked for the development of some industries which include wood-based industries.

Datuk Sim Kheng Hong, the Deputy Chief Minister and State Minister of Finance and Development, said the project was significant because of its multiplier effect on the economy of the state.

Foreign investors had also shown interest in setting up heavy industries in the Bintulu area, he said. This included the proposal by the Reynolds Metals Inc. of the United States to set up an aluminium smelting plant to tap cheaper gas energy in the Pelagus river.

Datuk Sim said there was also potential for petrochemical industries in the area following the implementation of the LNG project and the Pelagus project.

Priority was being given to development of the deep-sea port in Tanjung Kidurong, he added.

(BUSINESS TIMES, 14 December 1977)




Our journey began on 14 June 1978, when PETRONAS, Shell BV and Mitsubishi secured a partnership agreement to undertake Malaysia's first LNG project. This momentous collaboration led to the birth of Malaysia LNG Sdn. Bhd. (MLNG). We were involved in every aspect of the project in Bintulu – from the plant, jetty and infrastructure construction to the acquisition of LNG carriers and training of human resource.

The nation's first liquefaction plant in Bintulu was completed on 7 August 1982. Later on, we achieved another milestone when our first cargo departed on 29 January 1983 on board the LNG carrier, Tenaga Satu, heading for the Japanese market.

With escalating worldwide demand for LNG, we established our second and third joint-venture companies – Malaysia LNG Dua Sdn. Bhd. (MLNG Dua) in 1992 and Malaysia LNG Tiga Sdn. Bhd. (MLNG Tiga) in 1995.

(Copyright © 2012 Malaysia LNG Sdn. Bhd.)


New town near port

A NEW town to house at least 34,000 people is being planned for the site of the $400 million Tanjung Kidurong deepwater port about 16 kilometres from the Sarawak boom town of Bintulu.

Bintulu Development Authority general manager Datuk Jamaluddin Abu Bakar said a team of consultants will be appointed soon to design the new town.

The proposed town will have an international standard hotel, a shopping complex, a cinema and recreational facilities. It will be centred round four smaller townships each with its own shopping facilities, supermarkets and hawker bazaars; at least one of these townships should be completed by the end of this year.

Datuk Jamaluddin also said work on the deepwater port will be well underway this year on the site of what was once a popular Bintulu picnic area on the quiet banks of the Kemena River.

Now the jungle along the river banks is vanishing under the onslaught of bulldozers and heavy construction equipment as the giant $3 billion liquified natural gas plant, the $300 million urea factory and an aluminium smelter get under way.

Datuk Jamaluddin said tenders for the major work on the port will go out this year and construction should be completed by 1982 with the first LNG shipment going out in January 1983.

To house the massive influx of labourers expected to pour into the area for construction jobs, the authority is to spend $60 million and build 2,000 units of low cost housing in both Bintulu and Tanjung Kidurong.

And to cope with the building boom, the authority is currently stock-piling cement, bricks, steel and sand. It is also to beat rapidly rising prices of building material.

The authority has allocated about 365 hectares of land in Tanjung Kidurong for pre-fabricated housing for authority employees and possibly a few people from the LNG and port projects as well.

(BUSINESS TIMES, 5 March 1980)

(1896) The Federated Malay States Railways

RAILWAYS IN MALAYA

There is the prospect of an early and large development of railway construction in the Malay Peninsula. Mr. F. A. Swettenham, the Resident-General of the Federated States, is convinced that what is most wanted to open up the Malay Peninsula is an active policy of railway construction. Mr. Swettenham is right. Nothing else will open up the Peninsula so quickly as railway building; and the Peninsula is worth opening up. It is a territory which, for its size, is one of the richest in the world; and, when we find other territories less wealthy and less rich opening up railways, and by the hundreds of miles, the present unambitious policy stands self-condemned. In some respects the Peninsula - it should be noted - is being developed much more quickly than was hoped, even by such fervent believers as the Resident-General. The most encouraging thing, of course, is the remarkable advance that has been made, during the last eighteen months, in planting enterprise. Not merely in Selangor, but in other directions, advancement has been phenomenal. In Sungie Ujong, for instance, progress has been comparatively greater than in Selangor, and it is in Sungei Ujong that the progress of the planting interest is most to be desired, because of the comparatively weaker condition of mineral development there. Obviously then, the more land that is opened up by railways, the more encouragement planting enterprise will receive. We are glad to learn, therefore, that the Executive of the Federated States, guided by the wisdom and counsel of Mr. Swettenham, is seeking to arrange to begin a system of railway building on a much more important scale than has hitherto been attempted. To carry out the more ambitious policy, of course, money will be required. we have the assurance that there will be no difficulty in obtaining that. When in London, on his recent visit, Mr. Swettenham had an interview with Mr. Chamberlain on the question. They are both able and practical men; and they came to a wise conclusion. The country is being rapidly developed, railways must of necessity soon spread their iron network over the States, and for that purpose money will be forthcoming. Mr. Swettenham may feel so optimistic regarding the wealth and resources of the land under his care as to think the immediate outlay of a million sterling on this railway scheme to be only a moderate amount. We are informed that the loan of such a sum could be easily floated, bearing interest at only 3 or 3½ per cent. Yet it is a big amount to commence with. Perhaps, as a compromise, and to effect a satisfactory start, a loan of half a million sterling would meet with the cordial sanction of Mr. Chamberlain and the ready subscriptions of investors. The credit of the Federated States is, of course, more than good for such an amount. There is, to begin with, a revenue of nearly a million sterling; and the Protected Malay States is, perhaps, the only country in the world which can show no debts and a series of most valuable assets, all created out of revenue. But, whether it be a million or half a million, the question is - the only question of interest to the public - will Mr. Swettenham get leave to borrow that money and to spend it in railway building? We make no doubt on that point. Mr. Chamberlain will be in sympathy with the scheme, Mr. Swettenham is its enthusiastic and energetic advocate, and the English market will be a willing investor in the loan that must be raised for railway construction in the Peninsula. Mr. Swettenham will carry out his project, and the prosperity of Malaya cannot fail to be enormously increased.

(The Straits Times, 23 October 1896)



Headquarters of the F.M.S. Railways in Kuala Lumpur (1918/1919)

£1 million in 1896 currently equivalent to approx RM579 million.

Circa 1705

(1959) Yap Ah Loy's Home Unearthed

K.L. FOUNDER'S HOME FOUND

KUALA LUMPUR, Fri. - The original red-tiled floor of Yap Ah Loy's plank house in Market Street has been discovered by tractors working on the Mercantile Bank's new office.

Yap Ah Loy was the original founder of Kuala Lumpur, and in the late 19th century had a house on the new site.



(The Singapore Free Press, 16 October 1959)


Yap Ah Loy, (born March 14, 1837, Kwangtung Province, China—died April 15, 1885, Kuala Lumpur, Malay Peninsula), leader of the Chinese community of Kuala Lumpur, who was largely responsible for the development of that city as a commercial and mining centre.

Yap Ah Loy arrived in the Malay state of Selangor in 1856 at the age of 19. He spent his first years in the peninsula as a miner and petty trader, but in 1862 his fortunes improved when his friend Liu Ngim Kong became Capitan China of Kuala Lumpur, a position not only of leadership within the Chinese community but also of liaison with the Malay political system and, after British intervention in 1874, with British officials as well. He served as Liu’s trusted lieutenant and became the new Capitan China after Liu’s death in 1869, upon which he began to put together a sound administration and a strong fighting force.

When civil war broke out in Selangor in 1870, Yap Ah Loy was faced with internecine fighting among dissident Chinese groups as well as attacks from Malay factions. His decisive victory at Kuala Lumpur in 1873 proved to be the turning point of the war and left him in a strong political position. Until 1879 he was almost supreme in the interior of the state. As the acknowledged leader of the Chinese community he had been given the powers of a Malay ruling chief by the British except for the right to tax, a restriction he easily evaded. He achieved a striking postwar recovery in the mining industry and established Kuala Lumpur as the economic centre of the peninsula. Through his control of the tin market, his ownership of local “farms” (monopolies on the sale of items such as opium and exclusive control of activities such as gambling), and his diverse business interests, he amassed a considerable personal fortune.

When in 1879 the first British resident (government adviser) was assigned to Kuala Lumpur, the power of the Capitan China began to be undermined. None of Yap Ah Loy’s successors approached his power and independence of action. The city that he had largely developed retained its preeminent position and became the capital of Malaysia.

(The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica)

Sungai Klang circa 1880

(KITLV Universiteit Leiden)

(2017) Archaeologists search for a king in Sungai Batu

BY OPALYN MOK


The remnants of the jetty that was built before 487 AD in Sungai Batu. — Images courtesy of CAGR USM

GEORGE TOWN, June 9 — Tucked between plantations along a quiet country road near Merbok, Kedah, a team of archaeologists and students are busily excavating at a site that is known as South-east Asia's oldest civilisation.

This is Kedah Tua in Sungai Batu, an ancient civilisation that dates back to 535 BC, earlier even than Borobudur in Java (9th century AD) and Angkor Wat, Cambodia (12th century AD).

That's not all... this kingdom was a major iron exporter at the time, complete with mines, a smelting factory, a port and administrative buildings to support the industry.

What is missing are remnants of a palace, its thriving city and the burial sites of its people.

Since 2009, archaeologists and archaeology students from Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) Centre for Global Archaeological Research (CGAR) have been excavating the site to find these remnants and piece together the rise and fall of this ancient advanced civilisation in Kedah.

The kingdom of Kedah Tua

“In 535 BC, Kedah Tua was already exporting iron and this means its social hierarchy in the world was very high, they must have had a raja but so far, we have yet to uncover evidence of one,” said CGAR director Datuk Mokhtar Saidin.


The ritualistic site that was built in 110 AD with an addutuon built on top in the sixth century.

“We call it Kedah Tua because we are still not sure about what type of kingdom there was during that period,” he added.

Kedah Tua was known as kedaram, kataha, kalaha or cheh-cha previously and this is directly linked to its iron industry because those words mean iron in different languages

He said it was not just any ancient civilisation but an advanced one with geologists to detect and mine iron and the technology to smelt it.

Iron needs 1600 degrees Celsius to smelt and in that period, the Kedah Tua kingdom already had that technology.

“The technology must be from somewhere else, from the migration of people from the west to the east, the knowledge flows to China,” Mokhtar said.

Rewriting history

When the site was discovered back in 2009, Mokhtar said they didn't know the significance of it.

“There was no mention of this site in the history books, no mention of a thriving iron industry in Malaya or an advanced civilisation in the area… we didn't know civilisations existed here back in 535 BC so we didn't know what we had found until we pieced everything together,” he said.


Kedah Tua's position among other early world civilisations

The discovery of 12 jetties to form a major port off Sungai Batu was a sure sign that this was not just any small iron smelting plant but evidence of a thriving civilisation that was a major iron exporter to the world.

“It preceded Borobudur, it preceded Angkor Wat, it is history we never knew and discovering it as a civilisation meant history has to be changed… the oldest civilisation in South-east Asia is here in Malaysia, in Kedah Tua, not Borobudur,” he said.

Mapping burial grounds

After almost 10 years of excavating the site, Mokhtar believes there are still more discoveries waiting to be found.

Apart from the iron smelting industry, the port and the accompanying ruins of administrative buildings, they also found a monument of ritual.

“Back in 535 BC, they practised animism, we can clearly see the monument facing Gunung Jerai and we believe that from the 6th century onwards, they moved on to Hindu-Buddhism as we can see signs of a stupa which is indicative of Buddhism,” he said.

He added the Hindu-Buddhism influences could be due to the Silk Route when traders passing by stopped here and introduced their beliefs and religions to the people.


Samples of the furnace used to smelt iron during that period.

“We have yet to find burial grounds of the civilisation and we do not know how the kingdom fell but I have mapped out over 40 sites that I believe could be the burial grounds,” he said.

Based on other civilisations of the period, Mokhtar believes that the burial grounds will be very near the mountain, which is the nearby Mount Jerai.

“I've mapped the sites from Mount Jerai to Sungai Muda to Sungai Merbok, the burial grounds must be around here and we are also looking for the habitation site and most importantly, the istana,” he said, using the Malay word for palace.

Mokhtar and his team have a long way to go trying to find more evidence of the ancient civilisation because he believes the kingdom was spread out over 1,000 square kilometres from Sungai Batu up to Jeniang and Sik.

Links to Guar Kepah

The origins of the Kedah Tua civilisation are unclear but Mokhtar does not dismiss the possibility of the people being descendants of the prehistoric settlement found in Guar Kepah, only about 20 kilometres away.

“The Neolithic settlement in Guar Kepah is about 5,000 years old before they found iron while Sungai Batu is 2,600 years old so it is possible that it took them about 2,500 years to slowly move to Sungai Batu, to develop and eventually learn iron smelting,” he said.

“So, we have prehistory and just 20 kilometres away, we have civilisation, there could be a connection somewhere but I will still need to look for more evidence,” he said.

Guar Kepah is where three Neolithic shell middens were discovered by the British back in 1850s and a total of 41 prehistoric skeletons were excavated and brought to the National Natuurhistorisch Museum in Leiden, Holland.

Last month, Mokhtar and his team found a complete skeleton at the site that is about 5,710 years old. His team has continued excavating the site while a planned Guar Kepah Archaeological Gallery will be built there after excavation works are complete.

Mokhtar believes there is a link between Sungai Batu’s civilisation to the Bujang Valley. He believes the civilisation started at Sungai Batu before it spread out to the valley but again, he needs to find more evidence to prove the links.

“Even the first Muslim sultan, in the 12th century, was also dealing in the iron industry right up until the 15th century,” he said.

Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex

The Sungai Batu site was acquired by Jabatan Warisan Negara and is now known as the Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex.

While Mokhtar and his team continue to excavate the site, the complex is open to the public and visitors.


An artist impression of what the jetty at Sungai Batu looks like previously.It is proving to be a popular visitors' spot with some opting to stay for two days to observe the excavations and even join in.

“This is the start of archaeotourism in Sungai Batu and we have already introduced the first ever living culture gallery for visitors to experience excavations for themselves.

“The complex has a total of 97 excavated sites and apart from guided tours, visitors can also have hands-on experience excavating, brick making and iron smelting the way it was done during ancient times.

“This is our way of educating the people on how advanced we already were back in 535 BC, before there were handphones and internet, people were already mining iron, smelting iron and exporting it,” he said.

The living culture gallery and hands-on experiences are also a way to spur interest in a field that many perceive to be “boring,”, he added.

USM CGAR now has several archaeotourism packages for visitors that include its Archaeology Park, Lenggong Valley and Sungai Batu.

Find out more at its Facebook page: sahabatarkeologiusm or call 04-6533-357.

*Editor’s note: A previous version of this article contained an error which has since been rectified.

(Malay Mail Online, Friday June 9, 2017)

(1976) One big step for Najib, one giant leap for Malaysia

Back Najib call to UMNO and front

Kuala Lumpur, Thurs. - Tengku Ariff Bendahara of Pahang called on UMNO and National Front members today to support a move to nominate Datuk Ahmad Najib, eldest son of the late Tun Abdul Razak, as the National Front candidate for the Pekan parliamentary by-election (his father's old seat).

The Tengku asked his supporters not to put forward his name as a candidate because his many commitments prevent him from accepting the nomination.

When contacted at his Petronas office here where he is employed as an executive secretary, Datuk Najib said he had not made up his mind whether or not to agree to be nominated.

"It's a very big step for me to go into politics," he added.

(The Straits Times, 6 February 1976)

(1913) Crikey! An 8.93 metre crocodile caught in Kuala Selangor!

A big crocodile was caught and killed recently in Kuala Selangor. It measured 29 ft. 3 in. from head to tail.

(The Straits Times, 14 July 1913)




For the record, Kuala Selangor crocodile was 9 ft. longer than Lolong the largest croc in the world (20 ft. 3 in.) and our Sarawak Bujang Senang was 19 ft. 3 in. in length. According to the late Steve Irwin "The Crocodile Hunter", an eight over metre croc could still exist today if conditions were absolutely perfect.

(1976) Who nominated 22-Year old Najib for Pekan?

'Tun Razak's son for by-election' call

Penang, Mon. - The Kelawai Umno Youth today urged Umno headquarters to nominate Datuk Ahmad Najib, eldest son of the late Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, for Pekan parliamentary by-election.

"Although Datuk Najib is only 22, he has shown maturity, responsibility and courage during this trying period. We have full confidence in him," said Syed Imran Alsagoff, the Kelawai Umno Youth chairman.

"The late Tun had done a lot in bringing change and progress to Pahang, which was once considered one of the more backward states in Malaysia.

"We are confident that Datuk Najib will carry on with his father's good work if he is given the chance to serve the people.

"Rather than turn to older leaders, we feel the party should have more faith and trust in youth, Datuk Najib will not let the party or nation down."

(The Straits Times, 3 February 1976)

(1952) Kallang Jaga vs 26-Year old Mahathir bin Mohamad

The Jaga at Kallang



There have been complaints that Kallang Airport is badly managed on account of divers repairs which are long overdue. My experience this morning seems to prove that there are other causes for complaints too.

I had gone to see a friend off to K.L., and while watching the plane take off was approached by a haughty D.C.A. jaga (a guard; sentry) who peremptorily demanded whether I was a passenger.

I told him I wasn't one, whereupon this personification of law and order in Kallang Airport angrily asked what I meant by going up to the plane. As I had done no such thing I asked him what he meant by making such an accusation.

This refusal to bow to his authority irked him so much that I was ordered to leave the airport immediately or he would get a policeman to arrest me.

Needless to say I waited till the plane took off, but I keep wondering what kind of management the airport is under. Apparently jagas are allowed by the Civil Aviation authorities to intimidate visitors to the airport to the point of ordering their arrest should they have the audacity to deny accusations rudely and wrongly hurled at them.

Mahathir bin Mohamad, Singapore

(The Airport Manager replies that, from the letter, Mr. Mahathir was either in or had entered the West Customs Hall, which, since he was not a passenger, he had no right to do. The jaga, in accordance with instructions, would have requested him to leave that area and this instruction appears to have been misinterpreted to mean leave the airport entirely. - Ed S.T.)

(The Straits Times, 28 April 1952)


The Kallang Jaga

With reference to the footnote to my letter regarding the jaga at Kallang (April 28), I would like to state that I was not at any time in the Customs Hall as the airport manager seems to have concluded.

The airport manager has apparently missed the point that the jaga did not object to my being where I was until after I had denied his accusation that I had gone up to the plane. It was only then that he told me to get out of the airport, and there was no mistaking what he meant because he was pointing towards the road.

Mahathir bin Mohamad, Singapore

(The Straits Times, 2 May 1952)


Mahathir bin Mohamad entered the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore in 1947 and graduated in 1953.