Chapter 10 The Police And My staffs

A planter not only manages the plantation,he ought to be a Jack of all trades and master of none.For example he had to run the plantation's factory,those days mostly Rubber Smoked Sheet factories and also the smokehouses.He also had to know about the vehicles in the plantation especially the agricultural tractors that I tell you were engineering though never in vivid details.I have known of a European planters at least one who even soiled his hands repairing tractors this of course was a matter of individual interests.A planter must also well versed in housing i.e. about labor quarters etc.and reasonable knowledge of road repairs.Planters were also expert in labor laws,bet you labor wise I think I am or any planters were as good as any lawyers if not better.

Security wise planters also depended heavily on the police's protection and their corporation to maintain its peace and security.In this I agree that the colonial days the planters were better off for they had the full support of the Police and received full protection without even asking.Their bungalows were never fenced unlike ours no fencing meant that you were asking for troubles. Further they were also well armed.Weapons such as pistols and guns were readily available to them,
and their guards.

We ,local I dare say were never so fortunate for one to apply for arms there were that so many red tapes to adhere to,besides filling tons of forms,police interviews etc..As for the Police we had to be friendly to obtain from them full corporations.In a tiny town like Batang Berjuntai I had to know all members of the police directly from the lowest ranking to the Sergeant in charged although no necessary.An Inspector from Kuala Selangor in charged comes in at least once a week.For me I too knew of many Inspectors from Kuala Selangor.

In many ways I had quite an excellent labor force though they very much relied on their Union (NUPW) to attend to all their problems.There were no rowdy laborers around accept for certain young individuals who did not belonged to us.They worked in the nearby tin mines while their parents were our employees.

We have no strike whatsoever,unlike the first plantation where I was in.The unrully labor force attacked the conductors and the Manager on the muster ground with "kandal sticks"on one unfaithful occasion.Fortunately none were seriously hurt accept some bruises.The culprits were apprehended and prosecuted.It all began with a small mistake of the Senior conductor.I was on leave then so was never involved.My friend who was on the spot escaped unhurt as he ran away from the spot by running side ways,a survival tactics I too learned,never to escape by running on the normal path of escape.

There was no bad incidence of thefts on the plantation accept for on one occasion where our water pump was stolen.Apparently the sons of a 'Kangany" who were never in our employment stole it.A Police report was made,with apparently those culprits panic and reviewed the spots where theu hide the water pump plus its Lister engines.With that recovery no Police action were under taken though the Police were informed of our find.From that day on wards those few behaved themselves as they knew they were on the Police marked list.

Rubber thefts were common especially from the neighboring plantation,where cup lumps were often stolen.We also had some shares of them when we applied Ethrel (yield stimulent) to our trees.The late drippings of latex prduced alot of cup lumps tempting petty thieves to pilfer them.On numerous occasion some were caught red handed abnd taken to the Police.

On one occasion a thief was a minor and his family members pleaded with me for leniency but I struck to rules having the poor boy arrested.It was a matter of principle as such thefts were getting rampant.From my experiences in Good Tree I knew from the hard way it doers not pay to be merciful and I have my responsibility.

There was also an unfortunate incident where the thief was mercilessly shot dead,no report was made and the body was discovered only when some went near to the canal ti investigate a bad stuanch from it.The body was found floating in the boundar drain wth a bag of rubber cup lumps.Though no one claimed responsibility we all knew who shot him,poor guy,definitely never us as my daidy guards in the afternoons were never armed with a gun.

Fortunately those day we do not have foreign workers,it was not a trend then.There was no shortage of workers as they easily available.Tappers had to be interviewed and scrutinized before full employment.Unlike nowadays.Yes those days we do have Indonesian workers from Java but they all had red identical cards.They came from the nearby kampongs,residing with relatives locally.
All I had to do was to get my "Mandol" to recruit tem mostly for temporary work.
These youngsters offered no problems if any it will be nipped on the spot by my 'Mandol".

My staffs.........Oh my staffs.What a pathetic state of affair,no valuable staffs to assist me right from the beginning.I may have been badly schorned by Good Tree those memorable moments of tortorments really roughened and toughened me.An individual planter that could with stood all pressure whatever they be, to survive without capable staffs to assist me.No big deal really.I was capable of handling all those jobs myself.Therefore in certain waysI am grateful to them but they turned me into a montrous of a planter.

Afterall what were jobs in a 1500 acres plantation?????? "Sud,Sud,Seow" ain't it not so???.No bragging,directly from muster to full payments of all workers.All planters should know what I do and were capable as I,if not then go hom,e plant padi.I was no super human being but only one that had learned things the hard,hard way.I was no bully either but the training and experiences I attained had taught me never to neglect the smallest of all details in my job.

When I first took over of St.Andrew Estate,I had a Senior Conductor who was the son of a Director,the type that moved only when instructed to that also at his own leisure time like his grandfather.There was no way I could picked on him but allowed him be.Sad situation is it not so??? Even he do not how to do the monthly check roll for payments.Well to me no problem,I had good practices before.Had he moved it would have been for his own good.His only good job was weighing latex and rubber,so I was forced to allow him to do just that.

The rest were "Kanganies" or head men and I devided them into their own respective fields.I had five of them,four for the tapping areas and one to the weeding.They could be useful and reliable accept the fact they were union members making them obviously in- sincere towards me.However as long as they performed there were no problems otherwise I have them removed.

Later I began to recruit junior staffs to be exact junior conductors,expecting them to cut down my work load as I was visiting other plantations (very much smaller acreages) of the same company.The Boss had preferred me to recruit Chinese junior conductors but they never seem to be able to stay on.There was one who stayed longer for a while,he ideas of running away to better positions all the time.Not fitting as a junior conductor I heard he had the guts to apply for Assistant position using me as a reference.Well little did he knew that name stink in the European Agency.

Then I switched on to recruit Indians as junior conductors,The problem with these young men were forever thinking that plantation conductors were easy jobs just going around and tackling female workers in the fields and plenty of outside income.Easy job,no way under me no way he could relaxed and loitered around.My constant presence in the field kept them on their toes all the time.The past had taught never to trust any of them and should checked and re-checked their work.

Even when I ventured out to other plantations not one of them were informed.One did stayed on for about two years before absconding to Pahang without settling full payments of his motor-cycle.Following I recruit another as jumior conductor.Initially he was well behaved but after a few months under me he turned psycho behaving oddly,apparently the poor fellow could not take the pressure I bestowed on him.

His family came and took him home but he still wanted to come back to work for me but his condition did not allow him.In place of him came his younger brother,another well behaved young man,similarly very obedient.He proved to be a better staff than his brother.Unlike his elder brother he was a man of prayer,a struct Hindu.

In the drier months we encountered water problems as our well soon ran out of water for both factory used and for the workers.So water from the nearby canals were pumped up for factory used.For the workers we supply them with government water.Both had to be transported by tractor with water tank attached.Only snap was water for human consumption had to be transported frm the government stand pipe situated at the entrance of the plantation (some three mile away from the line sites.

This usually happened in the afternoon when the workers were back at the lines sites to receive the water so distributed ,house by house.Unfortunately at times the tractor was slightly slower because it has to be load at that standpipe which flowed directly into the tank.Government supply also be slowed down because of water shortages.The breaking down of the tractor also slowed down the deliveries of water to the workers.

That junior conductor heard the grouses of the poor laborers,day in day out,until he broke down and acted like a "samie",Indian priest.With bare body and powdered forehead and attired with a pure white sari from waist downwards carrying a bowl and incenses he began chanting Hindu prayers.With the completion of his prayers he loudly accused the Manager of having plenty of water at his disposal while the poor wretched workers had none.

Subsequently a big crowd gathered in support of him.Encouraged with the built up he marched to my bungalow with intention to storm it.I was at home that evening,on seeing that I kept my cool and allowed him and the crowd to inspect my water collection tank just behind the bungalow.There only an inch of water.At that I got angry and yelled at him,"Where is my water???".

Seeing none he kept his silence broke down and cried like a baby with the workers cursing him.My tractor driver who was present said to them,"I told you all that there was no water.The Manager only get his share late at night,maybe tonight twelve o'clock,only after you all.Now you see,listening to a mad man".With bowed head that insane staff walked forlornly away without any one to console him,only curses.

Did I really had no water???.No in the reserve water tank but there was water in my storage tank situated at the attic of the roofing.There was water in the morning but was already pumped up to the storage tank every morning when electricity was available.That bump was right I did had water that day.

In place of him I trained another local young man,yes.directly from the plantation,a worker's son.He had no basic education accept only standard six.I initial took him as a "kangany"of the weeding gang,He proved himself to be trustworthy and can follow my instructions without failed.From "kangany" I promoted him to junior conductor,trained him to do the pay rolls etc.

When he was ready I transferred him to another plantation which was also under my control.The plantation was fully matured rubber, mostly old rubber.The workers were all Indians .He was to stay there and worked independently and I only went there at least once a week.Or when ever any problem arises.

With him there I converted that plantation into solely Oil Palm and after that there was profits coming which delighted the Boss.The Boss had at first doubted his abilities after a Chinese conductor failed him.He proved me right and worthy of my trust in him.

In the main plantation I took in other Chinese as junior conductor .Frankly I took in my own cousin to serve as junior conductor with the approval of the Boss.He proved to be good enough and obedient.I trained similarly to do the pay rolls and all other field works.With myself going out many a times to other plantations I had him write daily reports for me and that really relieved my work tremendously.

The training I gave him was so good that after he left me he was able to get employment in Chinese owned plantation as Conductor in charged.In his heart I gave the best training sufficient to be a Manager of a plantation.Agreed, I was quite harsh with him and while in my employment he showed his displeasure with my handling of him,never relaxing.But it did him a world of good as he was later able to work independently anywhere.

Later I recruited another Chinese also to be trained as junior conductor.True I gave this young man some training but not as much as I taught my own cousin.He was with me for sometime but his later whereabout were unknown to me.



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





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