Chaptyer 13 My Neighbors

When as Assistant the chances of me getting well acquainted with our neighbors were slimmed,because most neighboring plantations' Managers only knew the Manager,Assistants were frowned at or of no significance.When as an Assistant the chances of one getting assaulted were limited at the muster ground,mostly the aggrieved workers would aimed at the Manager and the Senior conductors such as in Hurst Estate,Taiping,Perak.

I was in a rubber plantation for only few months during which I knew corruption was every where in planting.For example purchasing of materials from hardware shop etc.,I was caught with surprised at the kick backs even my orders were very less.These should have been more careful whom they wanted to corrupt,it was not every one were so greedy.Honesty surely goes a long way.No doubt honest people only end up penniless,thus making honesty does not pays.

I was informed early during the days of emergency when food were sold to workers on ration basis the gains by those in charged were extremely high,Should there be "toddy" sold their earnings almost doubled.This was so because "Toddy" can be adulterated with water or the measurement reduced in sized.With the ending of emergency ration was no more compulsory and workers can freely purchased their own food else where.

Only here did I managed to meet some young planters from over the other side of town.AS usual at week ends either they came to me or I went over to see them.With my transfer away those friends lost contact with me.

In Pahang, Bentong estate,the kind Manager will at times tagged me along while he entertained his friends and the Police officers.I was not a drinker so could not matched them in all respect.Most plantation Managers can drink like a fish especially those "Orang puteh".

In Good Tree it was worst because most Managers had their noses in the air,Assistants and worst Cadet Assistant were nothing to them.Nothing could be learned or achieved accept playing cards game with them,Even going out with them ,it was everyone for himself.One thing I do learned from all the Assistants were how to enjoy our selves while in town,Seremban,painting it red.

To me most of the Planter were corrupted to the fullest.Every now and then those contractors had to take them out for dinner and womanizing who knows what else??? I am pretty sure there were more.In Chinese owned plantation such nonscence cannot be tolerated.Honesrty was the word but being honest can be extremely bad for the straight forward,for there is a Chinese sayiong being straight forward and honesty gathers no gold only leave who ever concerned penniless at the end of the day.That does mean that honesty pays.

Coming to St.Andrew Estate,Batang Berjuntai,Selangor,my immediate neighbors were the small holders.It was a plantation but brought by a Chinese "Towkay" and had it fragmented into small holdings with him holding the the land titles.They had some connections with us their main drainage drain flowed through near the front of our plantation.

Through an unwritten agreement they had to pay us cost for the maintenance of it.Somehow the new owners refused to honor that agreement,thus failing to pay us its maintenance cost.
This angered my Boss who instructed me to block up that huge out let drain.I,thus put up a concrete blockage and the flow of water were terminated.Blocking that drain was aginst the law but orders were orders I had to adhered to.With the water level within those fracmented estate rose,flooding most of the fields concerned.

Immediately that Old "Towkay" rushed to my bungalow in his mercedes,but why my bungalow? Yes,it was lunch time,he came out of his car shouting in "Hokkien","I will shoot you for blocking that drain.Now tell me will you knock down that blockage?".I looking at him in amazement said,"No.never,why should I?"."I will shoot you for that",he again yelled.
" Anyway who ordered you to block my drain???",he yelled."Oh!My Boss,you can always see him",I said,"Should he tell me to dismantle that blockage,I will do it".

With that the angry old man left me alone.Apparently he saw my Boss who later instructed me to dismantle that blockage but not fully.So as per instruction I broke down only half the blockage untl he paid up fully.Well,he collected and paid up but the half blockage remained,as I have no instruction to knock them off thereafter.Water flooding their fields did go down but their fields remained socgy. Surprising that old man never came back to me,partly I was told he was fedup with some of the small holders who refused to pay him their shares of the maintainence.

However their problems were over sometime later as the drainage department opened up a boundary drain along it,thus serving to drain the water from those smaller holders into it.With that they do not have to depend on that drain crossing our plantation to drain their acess water from their fields.Further to this there were no problems from them ever again.

My other neighbor was Java Selangor Estate,as its tail end of their plantation was adjacent to middle of our plantation.Its Manager was a good friend of mine and we visited each other quite often.When ever he requires my aid I was always there to help,becuase he too had some nasty workers with him.To gether we had plans to tackle them just in case of need.

The plantaion sharing a common boundary with us ,right from the front till the end was Sungai Rambai Estate,under Socfin & Company.This was a division of one of their plantations,so they do not have a Manager there,only a Superintendent,somewhat of a Senior Assistant.My long attachment to St Andrew I have known at least three of their Superintendents

The first one I only knew by sight nothing more.Rumors had it that he was the type that he belted his poor half naked wife tied to a post in his garden.No big deal actually,it was common knowledge on most people's lips.The next in line was an Indian name Roberts who talked like a European.

Then following was a Chinese from Ipoh,he and wife plus daughter ,there only three of them.I knew them slightly better because their daughter was in the same kinder-garden as mine.He was about for about two years or so before being transferred off.In placed of him was a newly married planter,unfortunately his wife left him after the birth of his child,because he had a new loved.So the poor guy was left in a lurch holding the baby,the poor soul finally left the baby with his sister,a well known personality's wife.

There after I met another who eventually became a good friend and family.The couple has two sons all grown up by now.This couple got around fine with most people and they threw barbeque party of roasted lamp once in a while and I and my wife were invited.Very lovely of them.These people from the Agencies surely know how to enjoy life.

I was all the time very closed to the Manager of Java Selangor Estate and the Manager of Stratmore Estate.Stratmore Estate was of course on the other side of town,a plantation of five hundred acres.There was good relation with me all the while but it is when it really matters that you know their real identities.Twice these so called friends failed me,though it was nothing really of any significance.

What ever it was still worth mentioning,so these two gentlemen failed me as a friend twice.While being Managers of the Batang Berjuntai Group Hospital were automatically Directors of the Hospital.When I first came to St.Andrew Estate,they should have supported me to be the Managing Director as we were the biggest subscriber of the Hospital.Perhaps I was new or rather young they did not support me as I too did not know them well enogh.Dato H.O.B.Trail the smallerst subscriber was elected as its Managing Director.I never envy that post anyway.

Then with the untimely death of Dato Trail,these two so called friends boycotted me in place they selected Dass the Manager of Java Selangor Estate,one of the two,I was definitely disappointed and had thought of withdrawing from the Hospital but on second thoght I relented and allowed it be as both were still my friends.Despite every thing I maintained a good relationship with them without recviewing my disappointment.

Of these two Manager I never like the Manager of Stratmore Estate.When I left St.Andrew for business I left two outstation dogs with him as his hut got the space for them to run.Secondly he was a dog lover so I thought he would care for my dogs properly.Instead I learned that he gave one of my dogs to a labourer who later killed it mercilessly.What a cruel thing to do.Thereafter I never heard from him again.

One more fling at them.Were they corrupted??? Well,to me a big Yes.They were corrupted from heads to toes.I should know because I supplied herbicides to them when doing business and was never paid in full.What do I still called them="friends"????????

Dato Trail was a well respected planter in Batang Berjuntai areas.When I was in trouble with a local politician who vowed to take stern action against me for stopping him from campaigning in the plantation.The politician accused me of being a Communist and anti-government.This scared the wits out off me.Actually I was just performing my duties as I disallowed him ,because should I allowed him to canvas within the plantation I should also allowed the opposition to do so,then that would be inviting troubles.To prevent any untoward incidence I thus stopped him from canvassing within the plantation that was all.

To call me an anti-government subject was therefore uncalled for and a communist,worst still.I was worried so I wanted to turn to known people for advised.I listed down many but those cannot do much.The most influential being Dato H,O,B,Trail and he being a planter should be able to give sound advised.So I called him and he kind enough to grant an appointment at his bungalow.

I met him at his small bungalow which was constructed on the steep slope towards the river.The land was apparently given to him by Sime Darby on his retirement.He was very friendly,and patient listening to my problems,but could offered nothing to help just asked me to remain quiet and patient,just wait and see what action will be undertaken against me.Thereafter I left and waited but nothing happened,I think that politician was only throwing his weight around that was all.

To me most planters of old were dirty womanizers,mostly involving their maid servants.
Many married locals and left them in a lurch to return their homeland to marry their own kind.Easily I could named a few.Local young planters were not far lacking behind in seducing their maids,some even married them,so why they still had the thick skin to show their faces around.Here I too would not name them but forced to I will,so don't press me.

I remember where there were some white artisans or black Chinese workers scattered about
some interior plantations.How come you may asked of me.These were the dirt the European and Indian planters.Of course Chinese and Malay Planters also wholly involved only their colors can easily be integrated with the local work force so only small traces and rumours of them.











To continue when inspired.