Chapter 1 The Planter (as I see it)

A noble profession indeed of which I was part of it for nearly half a century.Wah!! yeah,wah!!!!!, no bragging,I was a planter for almost that long.Maybe I was not a good one but still I was one of them and no one can deny me that,nor the Incorporated Society of Planters where I was an ordinary member until I opted out for good.

Having been in it for so long perhaps I should write more about it.Well,maybe this will offend many so called good planters,but who cares.I don't, that is for sure.Those who have read my blogging surely know my story already,nevertheless I will carry on writing until I am satisfied with what I to have say.

Before going further let me describe to all what is a planter.The planter I mean was never the "padi" planter or farmer.Years back planters were Rubber Planters or Rubber Plantation Manager.A very powerful man and very important,too,likened to a small king of a tiny kingdom.In the days British occupation they were masters of huge acreages of land.

They were well respected because they were the Manager who had vast power bestowed on them and secondly because all of them were Europeans,even their Assistant managers were also their kind.The labor force looked up to them these white men with great respect as if they their god worshiping them at times.Each plantation of 5000 acres had a Manager and an Assistant,whereas small properties had one a Manager or an Assistant in charged.

In the colonial days all the plantation workers were of mostly Indian national brought into Malaya by them,They came in, in chains mind you in chains.All chained linked together on their legs,that is to prevent them from running away.When they came in chain their chain were dragged along the concrete floored harbor as they walked, making a clinking sound.That gave rise to the Chinese word "Keling".So that time onwards illiterate Chinese immigrants called those Indian laborers were known as "Keling".

Of course Chinese immigrants were also brought rather themselves as little pigs so they called to slave as laborers in tin mines and later the plantations.They were all called coolies.They fared no better than those Indian counterparts though they were not chained but were housed in kongsi and cannot wander away.Thus work in work place and lived in kongsi,no where,day in day out.Any runaways were severely punished or even murdered.Well those were the days.

Their smarter or tougher guys of the Indians were made the head of a gang of them whom they called "kanganies".Those kanganies were seemingly quite powerful after the conductors.Their main duties were to look after his gang of fellow workers,seeing that they performed their duties as specified and stayed peaceful around the line sites provided.

Chinese workers in plantation were always contract workers.The Contractor supplied the workers for the plantations under head men called "kapalas".Most of these workers were sold over here and having completed their sales contract were free to work for other contractors.Of course many were runaways workers from other mining companies.

Chinese workers days were porn to being bullied by gangsters and many forced to join them,failing which they will be prosecuted by them.So many were forced into force labor by such unscrupulous people.Notable big gangsters those days were Capitan Yap Ah Loy,he bestowed himself "Capitan".A good look at his old photos you can tell for sure he was nothing less than a ruthless gangster and a big bully.Then there were two or three known gangs not worth mentioning,to me they were equally disgraceful lots.

Many of these Chinese immigrants really by hook or by crook made their fortune around Malaya.Well my grandfather for early 1900 was for one who made it during that time.He was a Contractor,and owned a number of businesses in Teluk Intan mostly through collaborating with the British Governor .Many other Chinese Contractor also flourished likewise.

In Telok Intan those the well to do Indians were mostly money lenders or "Chettiars"as they were known,all stationed along Anson Road,where they had their temple.There only one big celebration here here part of the year.As a kid we always enjoyed their processions in the early morning and late in the evening,whereby Indians from all the plantations will come out and joined in the celebrations.

When I was a child living along Anson Road,I already have knowledge that surrounding Telok Intan were numerous plantations all owned by Europeans.Along Changkat Jong Road and straight on to about twelve mile were all plantations,all European owned.
The land across the river,opposite the police station were also plantations all owned by Euopeans.Then after Jalan Sungai Nenbong across the railway track were also fully developed.I know because my mother used to tapped rubber there as we as kids tagged along,supposely cleaning cups.Those days full of mosquitoes.I remember those dark brown water of those outlet fast flowing streams where Malay fishermen used to net fish.

Further down the railway line there was a sign concrete board beside it,denoting the burial ground of a gigantic elephant.Apparently the elephant had stood his ground to face the on coming train head on.Rumors had it that it was protecting its herd of elephants.Utter rubbish I presumed, because male elephants were proud animals and they would not bulged from any intruder or run away without a good fight.That was why it stood against the on coming train.The crushed proves fatal for it -for it was killed instantly.It seem it did not die in vain for it was remembered until today.A hero's death worth remembering.Bravo to a brave elephant.

Those were the days whereby the plantation Planters were all Europeans.Their trade marks were short pants with long stockings with boots,very often carrying a pipe in one hand and the other a walking stick.The pipe is to show that their were the Authorities and the walking sticks to poke about or tapping,pointing at mistakes of workers.Very often yelling on top of his voice at the shivering worker or "kanganies".Many of such "kanganies" were promoted to field conductors should they be good and obedient.

Somehow most their clerks were significantly Indians which Indian?, but "Malaiyalees".
Those days all clerical work apparently were monopolized by them and these people waged powerful influence over their Managers.Can be said they were more or less their assistants.Funny is it not so?.but it the truth.

The Plantation Manager went about the plantation always in a land rover,those huge clumsy monster those days,very often speeding through the plantation as king of the plantation.Jumping out here and there like a huge ape and with those shouting they made, obviously they were like one of them - apes only white apes.Many a time the bigger plantations, Managers had drivers to ferry them round what a big boss.?

One thing that surprises me were the respect bestowed on European Planters,because I noted with interests while I was Manager of St.Andrew Estate,Batang Berjuntai,that is the simplest of all things on seeing a Manager on the same road the on coming worker will get down from his bicycle,stopping to salute the on going Manager.This really was real colonial stuffs.Of course I did not like it one wee bit.Well,I advised them that was not neccessary as we were not the white men.





to be continued..........................