Chapter 5 My Follies as A Planter

In July 1966 I joined Good Tree Sdn Bhd. as a Probationary Assistant.On the appointed time I reported to the Senior Assistant of Sengkang Estate,Port Dickson.I arrived there at about 2.00 p.m.where I met the Senior Assistant at his office,he was a Chinese man in his thirties,a short guy who put up quite a air with nose snorting upwards and speaking with a European twang.

He introduced himself to me but I could not grasped what his name was.Being new I had to stoop low and spoke like an ant hardly audible."What?"he would retort,"What are you talking about?",he asked back in style.Actually he had been expecting me but talked as if he was surprised.A little while later he called the office boy to request another Assistant's present.

Another Chinese Assistant came in and he was ordered to take me to the division I was supposed to take charged of.Yes,I do recognized this gentleman.He was from the same school where I last studied in but he was a new teacher then.WE always thought he was a graduate from Australia.Somehow he has now landed as Assistant Manager.
We talked a lot as we went to the bungalow I was to stay.

For the very first time I find myself in very different environment and was nervously very raw. I arrived with nothing much accept my clothing in a bag,not what was expected of me.They had anticipated that I would come in with many of my things and to come with solely a bag was what they expected.Nevertheless I have arrived. Mr Leow seeing my lacking was kind enough by equipping me with some necessary cups to go with.

The bungalow was a beautiful building with three rooms a sitting room ,a dining place and a kitchen.Apparently that was his last residence and he had apparently shifted out to made way for me.That evening he even supplied me my dinner.Yes I am very grateful to him forever grateful.

That bungalow was well clean and the garden well maintained.The floor of the bungalow was slightly raised by a foot or so.A luxurious bungalow by any standard.Mr Leow as he was called seeing that I was too raw told me that I should have a maid to look after all my food problems and to maintain the interior of the bungalow, he readily aided me to recruit an old woman for it.The first month I had food at the local plantation shop and at Mr.Leow's house.

With my first salary I purchased many necessities,like cooking utensils ,pots and pans,also plates and cups.I was told that in European plantation it was going to be different because if it pleases the Manager he might even dropped in for a cup of coffee or so.Actually he will not be dropping coincidentally but on purpose just to see how were everything at the bungalow.So one not only has to take care of the plantation but also must kept the bungalow up to date.

A gardener was around to maintain the garden and to run the generator etc..My water??? Oh my goodness111,I was shocked at the shallow well where my water came from.It was a rather dirty well, full of rubber leaves in it and worst of a all a film of rust floating on its surface.That was the water I consumed and bathe.So I had it cleaned.The well was never fenced up nor was the bungalow.Those days robbers were unheard of in plantation.

I was scared stiff initially but nevertheless I endured all those without a hitch,those were the times I was still afraid of ghosts,and I stayed alone away from all human beings at least by a mile.Every morning I went to the muster ground and tried my best at work.There were two cadets planters in my division and there a Senior conductor and a Junior conductor.Somehow because I was seemingly raw and unfamiliar with my new working conditions,I thus acted without much confidence I apparently did not gain much respect from them especially the cadets who were commenting badly behind my back.

My main worry were never them but my Manager and he seeing that I had no transport equipped me with an old huge and heavy motor-cycle.Somehow my no-confidence outlook and the Chinese way I express myself on the first meeting did not impress him one wee bit because after one month I was transferred off to a smaller division a Sungai Raya Division.My previous experiences were with our local Chinese planters whom I had no trouble getting my messages directly to them,but being new to this "kwai Loo"I appeared lost for words, I got nervous and in fear I was humbled.That did not went well with the Manager.

The first Division I was in was Sk. 2 Division fully matured rubber and the new one as per name written.Sungei Raya Div.,was a smaller division which was less than 1000 acres.it had young matured trees newly opened for tapping and young replanting.The Manager had sense that the other division was too easy so transferred me here.The first time he came to the field he was with Mr Leow the other Assistant.The Manager immediately tested me on the botanical name of a weed which I failed to identify.He pointed that to Mr. Leow and he answered "Tetersera Scandens".He waved his hands as if to say there you are,you do not know.

Yes,I was ill prepared for these botanical names,so I spent my time knowing all those names of common grasses.It was my mistake for having not anticipated that type of questions will come so quick so I was slow in my learning.When I have mastered that no more questions of those came my way.Whatever I was further sliding down my position with him.

We had a lot of corrective pruning of the clone RRIM 600 he would come by and never stopped as everything were alright.Then came the supplying of a stump budding into a field and the stumps used for supplying was quite big.I took it lightly when instructing the conductor what to do.I should have made him to supervise that it be planted correctly,failing which I should have gone myself.I for one should seen myself first thing in the morning.

Having perceived that other work in the other fields were more important I went there first,but the worker planted that stump with the Manager arriving there before me, first thing in the morning. That carelessly transplanting at that supply point drove him crazy.In fact in sheer madness he shook and pulled up that stumps up with all his brute strength,shouting abusive languages like a mad fool.

Without a doubt I was to take full responsible of that mistake.Another extremely bad remark against me.A grave mistake indeed but to me a lesson well learned,therefore I never forget that.Instructions were instructions and had to be adhered to with a must supervised first before any other work.Yes- I took it very hard on myself.A very good lesson indeed and I never forgot that-not ever.This lesson brought me a long way from home,it was embedded within for life.Sure it did me a world of good.

I was not even given an opportunity to explain myself.Yes I was given a death sentence without even a trail.Apparently bad things spread like wild fire and I was humiliated a laughing stock all round just because the Manager was maddened so much so he refused to listen nor see me.It was blatantly a tragedy for me,with so much adversity against me,with no one to confide in.Well,of course there was Mr.Leow but what can another Assistant do?.The "old man" or Manager had every right to be so angry and leaving hopelessly speechless.

As if insufficient I was struck by another blow of bad luck as the old motor-cycle bad leakage of oil at the engine, caught fire in the field and was slightly damaged.The pruning workers used up their drinking water to douse off the fire of my motorcycle.The over zealous way I expressed it the Manager,so lacking of confidence and visibly shaken with fear, stunted with annoyance on the old soldier of fortune tremendously.He gazed at me in astonishment and in anger that also spread as a joke by the clerks,putting me in further humiliation and utter shame.I was devastated as this surely would be another bad remark on my report.

Back to square one I had no transport but Mr Leow came my rescue for he loan me his motor cycle,a Suzeki. Under me its absorbers gave way and I have to have it repaired.My motor cycle was in the mean time repaired and I quickly returned Mr.Leow his motor cycle.And I owned him another favour.

Over stacked with so many unintentional mistakes, I tried to work hard but to no avail it was pointless,how hard I worked were immaterial as what little mistakes I made will be magnified by the Manager.Later,even my bungalow was taken over by the Cadet Training Manager and I was forced to reside with another junior Assistant at the main division.The Manager was staying on the hill top while we half way down.

There,I was given a smaller room at that Assistant's bungalow.A room where I can come out anytime without disturbing anyone especially when I leave for muster early in the morning.Mr.Leow was supplying me food but on transferred to the main division's bungalow,I shake my food bills with that other Assistant.

This Assistant was a popular man with the other Managers and Assistant elsewhere of the same company.Well,as for me I was a loner so we had separate night life.Occasionally I do went out with all the other Assistants for night outings in Seremban town and did what all men usually did.Hair cuts by female barbers and of course massages.What other things happened God alone knew.What ever it was all expenses were our own.

There were nights where we played cards,poker I though no harm done.No not really to them no harm but I as a probationary Assistant and not confirmed as yet was another grave mistake on my part.For one of these people was bound to be a spy and have these reported to the Manager.Another bad thing was the gambling lasted till late hours ,all against me a probationary Assistant.Worst thing was I was always the sole loser.

Before the Manager went on three months leave a Contractor threw him a dinner party and all the Assistants of that plantation was to go along.The dinner was held in a restaurant in Seremban.It was a lavish dinner thereafter we were at the night club.Hard liquor and dance hostesses about four of them,all on the contractor.Yes without a doubt this was my first taste of corruption on that plantation,what prestigious company??? A thing I cannot say no but forced to abide with.If this is not corruption then what is?

It seem to me that was a common event given by the plantation's contractor.It is alright for the contractor to throw lavish dinner parties to plantation Managers.Of course the Manager was all smile and smoking his pipe as if he was somebody very great.To me this is worst than all the minor mistakes I made.

The party went on till the early hours and the next morning we still had to work.Work we we must while he went on leave back to United Kingdom for three months.He position was taken over by the Senior Assistant who acted for him for three months. Nothing went a missed during that period because I was made busy doing a censor of a replanting area which was due for opening for tapping.The Acting Manager saw what I did and later the area was put into tapping.

Then the old man or Manager came back from leave.While in my division he instructed me propagate some Triloba cuttings with a single node.I had not planted that before so I asked the rest of the assistants.Their answers were,"Just follow the Manager".Followed him I did,so cutting with one nodes were planted in small polythene bags and shaded.

Triloba,a board leave leguminous plant ought to be propagated with a minimum of two nodes never one.My instruction was to plant with one node but had I known that the cuttings should be two nodes,I still would have planted with one node not two.For instruction from the Boss were instructions to be adhered to and followed even it were wrong.Even today should I put that simple question to any planter I think they will shake their heads in ignorance.Therefore the old man erred in demoting me.Deep within me I had the notion to blast his head off,should I know where his grave is presently,I will definitely go and urinate on it for a week.

Does the name C.T.Ross rings a bell in your mind,let me know,maybe a reward awaits you if you were kind enough to furnish me his present where about,even in his grave.Thanks.

I had anticipated the Manager to be pleased when he saw them.No,he was not he jumped like a crazy cow pulling up the cuttings and shouting.,"I sacked you for these".I was not laughing but many were.I tried to explain but he just simply avoided me,next thing I knew was I received a letter informing me that I was to join the training Centre for Cadets.That devastated me,at a lost of words.and having no where to go in humiliations I joined its cadet Training Centre.

I was a victim of circumstances where the Manager was bias against me as a Chinese planter from a Chinese company.This racist pig thought all Chinese planter were not their equavalent.Maybe he was right but he was no better for he came after serving in the army , he know was how to fire a gun and make a lot of noise.Being white does not make him more superior to us Chinese planter.

I was ill equipped when i first stepped into that company of different environment surely I did made some mistakes,but were those mistakes so serious to the extent that I was to be belittle as knowing nothing.Later in the Training Centre I passed the ISP examination in Estate Practice (rubber) within three months in it,did it make it clear that I was knowledgeable but slight slower to response properly that was all.Estate Practice,which many of their senior planters flung is a good measurement to my experiences, a few silly mistakes does not exhibit that I am a bloody fool as him.That silly English old man.

Without the slightest doubt I had acquired much regardless of the out come,the final gain were that many of these things experienced were never to be repeated ever again and I made sure of that.That was why I know was a very difficult man to work with,any way who liked to work with anyone who always double checked everything.Suicidal,is it not so???.But do not blame me for such shortcomings blamed those who ill treated me,they were the caused.








To be continued.....................