An incredible ‘surat khabar lama’ Merdeka journey
New Straits Times (Columns)
1 Sep 2007
Johan Jaaffar 

LOTS of interesting things happened in 1957. Among others: Danish architect Jorn Utzon won the competition to design the Sydney Opera House; six European nations started the European Economic Community (EEC); David Lean directed The Bridge on the River Kwai; Leornard Bernstein’s West Side Story was staged; US troops enforced desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas; the USSR launched Sputnik, the first satellite, and Boris Pasternak’s novel Doctor Zhivago marked its international presence with its publication in Italian.

We were joyous Malayans on Aug 31 that year. Malaya got its independence from the British at the stroke of midnight 50 years ago. I was four years old when Tunku Abdul Rahman shouted "Merdeka!" in front of a boisterous and patriotic crowd at Stadium Merdeka. Wow! We have certainly come very far. Just remember how 1957 has changed this country, its destiny and, more importantly, every single one of us.

This newspaper reprinted one week of The Straits Times before Merdeka in 1957. It brought back memories for those who lived during the period. For many of us who were toddlers or not even born back then, these surat khabar lama (literally) are one incredible journey into history. The paper itself was 112 years old in 1957. At 15 cents a copy, it was the paper for the elite, the learned and for uppity Malayans who read English.

It is interesting to read the news, articles and tidbits that made The Straits Times revered, respected and even feared. Those were the days when Cream Puff of Max Factor was a craze, Ovaltine made its mark, Rolex was still affordable, Double Diamond was hailed as the finest beer, Titoni was "the in-thing". Everyone went bonkers over PYE radio Model 222, and Players Navy Cut was every smoker’s dream cigarette. Brand’s Essence of Chicken was there; so was Eye-Mo, Lactogen, Cussons Baby Soap, Dulux Paint, Elastoplast and Lux Toilet Soap. Radio Malaya was the only radio station in the land. TV was six years away.

Just go through some of the human interest stories. On Aug 25, there was a report that an "eccentric doctor" had left a $360,000 trust fund for the poor. Eccentric? This item was not for the weak-hearted: A reader wanted to try a taste of human flesh. There was a one-paragraph news item on Aug 28 that captured my attention: The administrators of Tampoi Mental Hospital in Johor Baru made an appeal to the public to send old blankets, slippers and "picture books". Pictures soothe a disturbed mind, right?
On Aug 29, there was an item about people panicking at being bitten even by a child. The reason? A 21-year-old nurse died after being bitten on the hand by a patient at the Kuala Kubu Baru hospital. Lovers, beware! Did I mention that The Sunday Times had a Sunday Pin-Up back in 1957?

Just read some of the articles that appeared in that period. There was a story of the tragic death of John Cobb, holder of the world’s land speed record while trying to break the record on water after his jet-engine speedboat blew up at Loch Ness. And there was an interesting piece on the inventor of the typewriter dying a pauper (Christopher Latham Sholes).

There was an investigative piece on "The shocking lives of Malaya’s fishermen", a harrowing tale of how fishermen were left indebted forever and lived in poverty. The articles that appeared in two segments were written by Paul Markandan and appeared on Aug 26 and 27. On the lighter side, there was a column named Jane Lee’s Human Casebook. One reader was advised by the Wise One, "Girl in love with married man is so unhappy". Some things certainly have not changed over the years!

But more important are the news items pertaining to Merdeka, such as the story of Sir Gerald Templer, the former Federation of Malaya high commissioner who arrived on Aug 25. His priority? "I need a bath." And of course there was a picture of a new police cap, reportedly designed by a constable, Mohamed Nor Talib. On Aug 28, the newspaper carried a front-page story of the first to be "the Paramount Ruler-elect" (Yang di-Pertuan Agong) moving to the official palace in Kuala Lumpur.

Preparations were feverish. As the heading of one of the stories on Aug 30 aptly said, "Eyes of the world will be on Kuala Lumpur". Foreign dignitaries were flying in. Hotels were full. Everyone wanted to be in Kuala Lumpur on the Big Day. Kuala Lumpur "looked like fairy-land city". And yes, an illuminated giant sized "M" (for Merdeka) sign was placed at the highest spot in the city — the Bukit Nanas telecommunications tower. One day before Merdeka, the $2.3 million Stadium Merdeka was declared open, to be the venue of the historic occasion later in the night.

The prime minister-to-be, Tunku Abdul Rahman, had named "The Big 12" who "will rule Malaya" after Merdeka. But equally worrying was the communist threat. Tunku asked the communists to surrender and join the people to build a peaceful and harmonious Malaya. The communists fought hard before the final surrender almost three decades later.

Communist threat or not, the Union Jack was symbolically lowered on the historic day. Nay-sayers were many and sceptics were in abundance. There were questions about the survival of the fledgling democracy and what would come after Merdeka. There was debate on the policy to "Malayanise" the public services. Questions pertaining to race relations were raised, so was the plight of the Malays. But the people were determined to give it a try. What we witness today — our achievements notwithstanding — is the product of their determination.

In the kampung and towns, there were days and nights of merrymaking, the papers observed. Not to be outdone, a certain mat salleh came out with "Merdeka Brainwave", a hair cream that was supposed to challenge Brylcream. The fact that you have not heard of the cream today proved that the idea of cashing in on the Merdeka spirit is one thing but selling a product is another. You missed all these? You had better reread your pre-independence newspapers attached to this newspaper since Aug 26!

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