PICTURES WITH A STORY .....

Often we glimpse at a picture or pictures and never attempting to see or read the stories behind them. Often concluding that it or them has or have no stories to tell. Very true for only the photographer can tell us the stories within that picture. Especially when we have right in our hands pictures dating back many years ago.

Let's go back a few decades back when pictures are in white and black and discover the stories. Well I am able to tell the background to that picture because I was the photographer. How we dismissed the facts and the stories within because failing to look deeper and unwary of the wealth within. 

                                                                     PICTURE A                                                              

It's a quiet and peaceful. No traffic except for two persons about to cross the road. Even then they looked cautious.  It's early morning, a beautiful day with a slight breeze in the air. Obviously it is not of the current time frame but one snapped in 1957 when Malaya was heralding its Independence     (Merdeka) The signage on the arch framing the road tells all. There is a picture of Tunku Abdul Rahman the first Prime Minister for all to see when they passed by. 
 

The road is still in service in 2015 but transformed through the years to be a busy double thorough fare. Imagine only a bicycle or two on the road minus the cars , motor cycles lorries etc. The air is cleaner and the trees grow to their full heights and right to the road boarders. Years earlier a horse drawn cart would also be on the road. Alas all that has gone. 2015 sees a total change of the area fronting the road side at ALOR MERAH four kilometres from Alor Setar city centre. 

All the greens are gone. Bare and brick buildings have taken their places. You risk your life if you do cross the road without watching for the heavy traffic to and fro.

picture B

This is a picture of Alor Setar in 1955 with imported British cars parked in front of Bangunan Wan Mat Saman ( now the Kedah Religious Department). A 'Humber' or a Hillman Minx could be the model of the car. Angsana trees lined the road stretching from Bangunan Balai Besar to the corner of Jalan Raja and Jalan Tunku Ibrahim. The white building stretching across the picture was the PWD office and later became an art gallery. The open field in front of the PWD office is known as 'Padang Court' the public open field for the Alor Setar community where all state functions were held here. Its proximity to the Zahir Mosque and Sultan's office and in the centre of the town makes it the "Town Padang" typifying itself as many other established town padang in all the state capitals of Malaya and Singapore.

A look back at history, glimpses at old pictures will open our eyes to yester-years and that too if the old pictures are still safe in our keeping.

                                

STEPPING BACK INTO TIME ?

THE QUESTION IS ASKED.  There is no problem to dwell into the past as records are available but to wish things as they were would be an impossibility . You too may have lived in the years past and your vivid memories could easily be awaken to remember the distinct. 

Today as we approach the 56th year of celebrating Merdeka and seeing the 'Jalur Gemilang' ( the national Flag) wavering in the breeze as they stand on poles and staffs of buildings and vehicles, we would recognize that we have gone past that time line, possibly  adding a score more or less. Surely things are still vivid in our mind. One thing for sure a ride on the ferry crossing the Penang Channel recently brought back quint memories of shipping at the Alor Setar harbour.  

Wow! Is there a harbour at Alor Setar town? Could a ship traveled upstream from Kuala Kedah and anchored in town? No one who has not seen the old river would ever vouch that it is possible. Sungai Kedah as it is now would not even allow a fishing trawler to go upstream from its estuary. Kuala Kedah would be its last stop. Alas such a situation has taken place in many of our towns in the country.

I remember seeing ships as big as in the picture below or the size of the ferry that ply the Butterwoth - Penang channel anchoring in the town in the early 1950's. Alor Setar just like many other towns in Malaysia is a riverine town and communication or trading to other parts of the country in days before Merdeka (1957) depended on shipping as the main avenue. Large cargo would not be transported by road or railway as both were inadequate for the purpose. Therefore it was always a thrilling moment when as a youngster I would see ships mooring at the town harbour after coming upstream from the estuary at Kuala Kedah six or seven kilometers away. 

Daily the ferry boat from Langkawi would also come in to anchor at the jetty in town. The blasts from the ship's horn added to the excitement as people crowd the riverside to see a larger than live transportation came in slowly to moor itself by the wooden jetty at Tanjung Chali.

It is a picture framed in my mind that is impossible to forget and the sight of the ship in the Penang harbour seen on 14 August 2013 while on the ferry moving across the channel conjured the reality of things. Thus this write up or looking back into the past. 

Unfortunately even the jetty in the town has been demolished. No one who had never seen the jetty and especially the ship at anchor there would ever believe the reality of things. Looking at the current site and river condition, we would likewise agree with them.

Cries for 'river beautification' or 'the restoration of our riverine beautification' would not bring back its past grandeur and usage. We have truly destroyed our natural beauty and its importance through neglect and destruction. The Alor Setar river in the past would be bluish as sea water flowed in upstream. Now it is muddy and brownish and don't expect youngsters to jump in and having a swim there.

This is a recollection I would like to share with friends who may have seen the same situation transpired in their towns when shipping was the main source of transportation or when custom and marine department offices were located in your town rather than at the estuary of the river now. Thankfully the old marine and custom building is intact though not serving its old function excepting defining its true identity. 

Several photos as displayed below may help to define the truth and the calamity that has fallen on other riverine towns in the country and every where. We would like to define this as development. Hard to agree!     

A cargo ship the like of which was once seen in Alor Setar town ages ago which anchored to load timber, rice and other natural products for shipment to Penang and Port Klang as well as unloading supplies for the town. Barges the likes we often see at Penang were towed in to the harbour. Now it is even unlikely to find such barges at Penang. How fortunate to find a picture in my collection.   

              

The Penang Ferry built so that it could ply into shallow waters too.

These barges were a plenty in Penang in the 1950's but gradually disappeared as containers and port facilities improved with time. Then they too made their way to Alor Setar harbour before. The river no doubt was deep enough.

 

A scene even upstream from Alor Setar specifically at Anak Bukit where boat racing could even take place as the river was wide and the water deep and flowing.

A picture taken in 1962 on a boat leaving Brunei Town for Labuan. Yes large ships too could anchor at the harbour in town. Now they stop at Muara Port away from the city. The harbour in town has become out of bound for ocean going ships. The next two pictures show that it was possible before.

In 1962 the Brunei River with its jetty in town would see even navy and cargo ships anchored in its waters. I was fortunate to have captured these scenes on camera reminding me what was already a gone thing in Alor Setar. Never did I realize this scene would repeat here in Brunei because when I visited the city in 2011 no ocean boats plying the Borneo - Singapore and Malaysia could lower their anchors in the Brunei River anymore.

Alor Setar town.  Believe it or not, ocean going ships used to anchor here with a jetty built by the side of the brick  walls. The white washed building with two flags wavering in the breeze was the former custom and marine office. The shops along Jalan Pekan Cina by the river was the busiest part of the town. Now gone with the wind and so too the once busy part of Alor Setar known as Pekan Cina and Pekan Melayu.

Today we hear talk of upgrading and bringing back live to the water. Million of Ringgit would be needed to bring back its austere lives. Rather why not save those rivers not yet polluted and still breathing, halting all the mistakes we had created that have turned the 'old' rivers to what they are now.

Yes as we see Malaysia coming to age in its 56th year, let's give a thought to the past gleaming back at its peace and beauty that fortunately touched us in all its majesty once.

Are we missing something?

THE MALAY HOME THAT AYAH BUILT CHAPTER .2

14. " Dan Kami perintahkan kepada manusia (berbuat baik) kepada dua orang ibu-bapanya; ibunya telah mengandungnya dalam keadaan lemah yang bertambah-tambah, dan menyapihnya dalam dua tahun. Bersyukurlah kepada-Ku dan kepada dua orang ibu bapakmu, hanya kepada Kulah kembalimu"

SURAH 31: LUQMAN

The home continues to take shape as we have wished. The exterior caught our sight much earlier. The interior with its exacting finishes labors on and once completed will provide the home as we would have wanted. It is our home and not just a house and more than anything else it rekindles all the past glories and more so of times when both our parents were the masters and our little feet thunders on the wooden floors as we run around in its voluminous space. It is a fait accompli that one has to rebuild the home otherwise it just vanish with neglect and time. The whitish floor finish looked accomodating but it stood for a day only. The next morning it took a dark rich red color. The space as one would imagine would allow a congregation of a hundred to fill the space when we will use the home for the first time again.

The large wooden doors are originals, even the door knock and the locks hasten us back to times when we used them to enter or leave the home. Not to mention all the windows with double shutters and hooks and the floorings with its sizeable tonques and grooves wooden planks.

The lady architect and planner surely enjoys her fruits of labor.

Parts of the interior fittings, a minimum sufficient to take several volume of books, momentos and a service counter for hot cups of coffee when you are here.

The door is already wide opened . Stepping onto the veranda you would take the staircase to enter the home.

The suspended ceiling with its slanted wooden sidings give a harmonious look with a right glow when the lights are on .

For a labour of love one would forgive the superfluous redemptions. An appreciation of skills at building old Malay homes has to be discovered.

Conservation of 'The Malay Home That Ayah Built' by Anak Arshad Architect 604-7345196 Fax 604 7345197

THE GATES OF MERDEKA

For all these glory, peace, growth and directions towards a developed country by 2020 we must never forget their sacrifices. They gave their hearts and souls for what we have now. The country's security still rest in their hands. We begin this 53rd year of Merdeka by extending our Al Fatihah to our Muslim brothers and sisters who have gone before us and more so to those whom the nation recognized their lasting contributions where their names are etched at Tugu Negara.

41. " March forth, whether you are light ( being healthy, young and wealthy) or heavy ( being ill, old and poor), and strive hard with your wealth and your lives in the Cause of Allah.This is better for you, if you but know "

Surah 9 Al Taubah

WE may remember 31 August 1957 in our own individual ways. Now that we have reached the 53rd year of its celebration, surely if we were there when it first begun we would have seen multitude of happenings. Certainly we have seen the country's Prime Minister taken office one after the other. Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al Haj, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, Tun Hussein Onn, Tun Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi each one of them have left their footprints and curved their individual contributions to the country in their own ways. Right now Dato Mohd Najib is on the pathways to make his contributions to the country. His is shrouded with new challenges.

For one, 31st August is a public holiday through out the country, a must declared off day for all by regulation. Parades with celebrations befitting the national day have been repeated year after year. The national celebration for 2010 is an exception being performed indoor for the first time. We have yet to see it tomorrow morning

I would like to record earlier scenes that met me with regards to such celebration. Of course going back through the years would be a worthy effort , more so it would trace the gantlet of celebrations.

Gates are familiar with us. Even our individual homes would likely have a gate for security at least if not for its decorative features. Similarly gates of various sizes, features and materials continue to be part of our national feature. Let me begin with decorative gates or 'pintu gerbang' which allures Malaysian to welcome the early beginnings of Merdeka .

This is a gate at Kirkby Teacher Training College Liverpool built as part of the Merdeka Celebration in 1957. Though photos were in 'black and white then, this taken as a color slide recorded it in color.

This is one of the gate or arches built in Alor Star to celebrate the first Merdeka Day. It was erected on the main road between Titi Gajah and Anak Bukit. Anak Bukit has now become the Royal Town as the royal palace is situated here. Notice the calmness and serenity of the small township then.

Of course, while gates or 'pintu gerbang' appear in the main towns throughout the country, we were often held up at such gates as in the picture during the 'Emergency Years' much as Merdeka was declared earlier. Austin car was the hit for those who could afford

This was built in 1961 when the Yang DiPertuan Agong visited Brunei. It must be told that Tunku Abdul Rahman visited Brunei earlier when Malaysia was at the proposal stage. Being from Kedah where the long boat festival was a yearly affair, Tunku brought one long boat from Kedah with its rowers to participate in a friendly boat race on the Brunei River. The two men walking by the 'pintu gerbang' were part of the team. I was there and so this historic photo.

As with many celebrating features all the gates in the pictures have been pulled down as fast as they were built.


SELAMAT MENYAMBUT HARI ULANG TAHUN KEMERDEKAAN MALAYSIA