Lombok

Penerbangan ke Lombok mengambil masa 3 jam 5 minit dari Kuala Lumpur. 'Long overshadowed by its superstar neighbour across the Lombok Strait there's a steady hum about Lombok that catches the ear of travellers looking for something different from Bali.' - Lonely Planet

Kedai Pak Sudirman Antiques yang terletak di Senggigi ini seakan-akan muzium. Tuan kedai sangat peramah dan mudah berbicara tentang antik walaupun saya banyak bertanya. 

The stabbed governor of Sarawak

12 March 2012
By Mike Thomson BBC
Radio 4

Previously secret documents show British officials covered up evidence about the assassination of a colonial governor in East Asia after World War II, fearing the truth might spark a war. But this, it seems, left an unjust stain on the reputation of a British man from a family of so-called White Rajahs.

Duncan Stewart was killed several weeks into his governorship

In December 1949 the new governor of the recently acquired British colony of Sarawak was on his first official tour. Among Scotsman Duncan Stewart's previous postings was Palestine - one of the most dangerous in the world at that time. After that, it was thought he would have little to fear in the comparatively sleepy backwater of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo.

After a couple of weeks in the job, he went to the town of Sibu on his first official visit. He was welcomed warmly by a large crowd, who all seemed to be enjoying themselves, according to press reports of the day.

After inspecting a guard of honour, he walked on flanked by a gaggle of excited school children. Then a youth walked towards Governor Stewart holding a camera and asked to take his photo. As his Majesty's representative prepared to pose, another youth stabbed him.

Officials quickly grabbed the two youths and arrested them.

Despite suffering a deep stab wound, Governor Stewart is reported to have carried on for a while, as if the murderous assault hadn't happened. But when blood began to seep through his starched white uniform he was rushed away for treatment. He died a few days later, after being flown to a hospital in Singapore.

Two local Malay youths, Rosli bin Dobi and Moshidi bin Sedek, were tried for murder and later hanged. Both were thought to be members of a group dedicated to restoring Anthony Brooke, heir-elect of a British family of so-called White Rajahs, to the throne of Sarawak. The "anti-cession" movement objected to the decision to cede Sarawak to the British.

The Brookes had ruled this northern slice of the island of Borneo since the mid-19th Century. It had been given to Anthony's Great Great Uncle James by the then Sultan of Brunei, after the Victorian adventurer had quelled a revolt for him.

Anthony Brooke died in 2011, never officially told the assassination had nothing to do with him

It was then run as a virtually independent and apparently benevolent kingdom by the Brooke family. The interests of the varied local tribal groups were, it seems, well protected by the Brookes as commercial pressures grew following an influx of investors and businessmen.

But, finally, in July 1946, Sarawak became Britain's last colonial acquisition. It was handed over to the British crown by Anthony Brooke's uncle, Charles Vyner Brooke, in exchange for a £200,000 pay-off.

Charles Vyner Brooke in Sarawak in 1946

But Anthony Brooke, who had been expected to take over as White Rajah of Sarawak, was not happy about this.

Neither were many locals. Even though his family were as British as the new colonial masters, they had become part of the local fabric, unlike the pith-helmeted rulers from far away.

Numerous anti-cession protests were held. Placards called for a return to White Rajah rule led by Anthony Brooke.

Protests spread from village to village

So when the British governor was killed, suspicions naturally fell on him as the leader and focus of the anti-cession movement. Was he involved in the assassination plot as part of his bid to win back power? British officials left that looking a distinct possibility - but they knew more than they let on.

"That's not what the British government believes at all," says historian Simon Ball, of Glasgow University, who has extensively researched the case.

Indeed, evidence shows the ringleaders of the assassination plot were not acting for Anthony Brooke, nor did they have any intention of returning him to power. Instead, in a letter discovered by Professor Ball, written by one co-conspirator to the other, they make clear their intentions of helping neighbouring Indonesia to take over British Sarawak.

"What they want is freedom as part of Indonesia. So this is the underlying political motive for the killing. It's not to support [Anthony] Brooke."

The British it seems, feared that to confront Indonesia with its involvement in such a plot might spark an unwelcome conflict. The newly independent nation had just driven out Dutch colonial troops by force, and the UK already had its hands full dealing with insurrection in British-run Malaya to the north-west.

So they decided to keep quiet about the fact that this had little to do with Brooke's supporters and a lot to do with an anti-colonial independence movement. In a letter marked "confidential", John Higham of the Colonial Office wrote to a colleague in the Foreign Office. "We have now come to the very definite conclusion that the publication of the correspondence would be dangerous and that it would be undesirable to show it to Anthony Brooke."

The Superintendent of the local Special Branch wrote two weeks later: "There is no evidence or suspicion that AB [Anthony Brooke] knew of the intention to assassinate H.E. [His Excellency] The Governor."

But despite all this, the finger of blame for the death of Governor Duncan Stewart was left pointing at Anthony Brooke, who was never officially told that his anti-cession campaign had little to do with the assassination.

A year later he formally gave up his claim to the Sarawak throne and travelled the world as a self-appointed peace ambassador, before settling in rural New Zealand where he died, aged 98, last year. His grandson, Jason Brooke, says it is distressing that his grandfather went to his grave not knowing the truth.

"I think it was very, very difficult for Anthony, the way he was landed with these… more than implications, almost accusations, of having at least a moral responsibility for what had happened to Duncan Stewart. It's sad, but that's history."

Eastern Aerated Water Company Ltd.

Saya sempat melawat Titanic The Artifact Exhibition 100th Anniversary di Singapura baru-baru ini. Pameran ini mampu memberi kesan emosi kepada diri saya walaupun kita sedia maklum tiada rakyat Malaysia yang terkorban dalam nahas 1912 ini. Satu lagi sebab saya beremosi kerana tidak dapat berkongsi dengan anda apa yang saya lihat. Pameran ini tidak membenarkan sebarang rakaman gambar, 'strictly no photos allowed' katanya.

Sedang asyik membaca email di BlackBerry, tidak sengaja pula terambil gambar ini. Secara kebetulan ianya gambar botol soda Cantrell & Cochrane. Botol jenama Cantrell & Cochrane ini turut karam bersama kapal Titanic pada tahun 1912. Jenama ini diperkenalkan pada tahun 1852, pada mulanya mereka adalah pengeluar soda waters dan spirit. Anehnya tiada sebarang botol codd yang saya nampak (mungkin  tidak dipamerkan), kalau ada sudah tentu dengan tidak sengajanya saya terambil gambar.

Ini pula bangunan Eastern Aerated Water Company Ltd. yang saya percayai dibina sekitar tahun 1936 di Geylang Road, Singapura. Pada masa itu kilang jenama kapal ini dilengkapi peralatan moden dari Amerika Syarikat yang mampu mengeluarkan 12 jenis minuman soda.

Pada September 1961, trade mark 'Ship' atau kapal ini memperkenalkan minuman soda jenama Tropi dari Jerman Barat. Tropi adalah minuman soda dari 6 jenis jus buah-buahan iaitu blackcurrant, lemon, woodruff, orange, raspberry dan apple. Ketua pengurusnya Encik Wong Meng Par bercadang mengeluarkan 36,000 botol Tropi sehari. Pada masa itu Tropi juga diekspot ke Federation Borneo Territories dan Indonesia.  

Boleh jadi Eastern Aerated Water Company Ltd. mendapat ilham jenama mereka dari kapal Titanic. Seperti Titanic, bangunan ini hanya tinggal bangkai sahaja dan tidak lagi beroperasi seperti dahulu.

"Macha, ada jumpa botol ka? Find any bottles?" Seterusnya saya dihalau dari kawasan itu (belakang kilang Eastern Aerated Water) kerana menceroboh kawasan bahaya. 

1938 'Royal' Typewriter

Alatan 'industrial' seperti mesin taip menarik disimpan sebagai hiasan. Mungkin lebih menarik lagi apabila mesin seberat 17kg ini dapat dibaik pulih seperti asal. Kenalah cari pakar membaiki mesin taip atau kedai servis yang rasanya hampir pupus. Ada kedai yang saya tanya, hantar sahaja dikenakan RM48 ('Consultation fee'), tidak termasuk servis lagi, silap haribulan kos membaik pulih lebih mahal dari kos pembelian, apa ke jadah? Mungkin lebih elok saya biarkan seadanya buat sementara waktu :)

Mesin taip Royal buatan Amerika ini pernah digunakan di Surabaya, Indonesia pada era Perang Dunia ke II. Terdapat nama H.v.INGEN # SOERABAIA # AFD. KANTOORMACHINES pada mesin taip ini, mungkin ada yang bisa membantu? :)

H.v.INGEN # SOERABAIA # AFD. KANTOORMACHINES

Amoy Canning

Amoy Canning was first founded in Amoy (Xiamen), China in 1908. Initially the company was set up to produce soy sauce. It soon bought over a nearby dairy farm to produce local delicacies for exports to countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and the domestic market.

In 1913, Amoy Canning hired an American called Kroch to set up a canning factory in Xiamen and help with the transfer of technology. The company expanded from Xiamen until it had a number of factories in China. After Amoy Canning merged with its rival Ta Tong, a branch was set up in Hong Kong, followed by a factory in 1929. In 1938, its head office was moved to Hong Kong arising from the war in China.

Amoy Canning set up its first Southeast Asian factory in Singapore in 1951 and subsequently expanded to Malaysia in 1954 under Amoy Canning Corp. (M) Berhad. Today, Amoy Canning’s principle business in Singapore is in the manufacturing and distribution of canned foods and food sauces under our own brand, Amocan; while Amoy Canning’s principle business in Malaysia is in the manufacturing and distribution of non-carbonated soft drinks namely Asian Drinks including Soya Drink and Fruit Drinks under our own brand, Delite, in 250ml and 1000ml Tetra Pak packaging, Can and PP Bottle.

Amoy Canning, Hong Kong was sold to Danone in 1991. Today, the family of our founder, Ng Teng Guan (1860-1936), continues to own Amoy Canning in Singapore and Malaysia.

Source: © 2006 AMOY CANNING (BEVERAGES) SDN BHD

Antique telephone store in Jakarta, Indonesia

Gambar ini diambil oleh sahabat saya pada 7 Januari 2009 semasa melancong ke Jakarta, Indonesia. Berbagai jenis telefon antik dijual di kedai ini, harganya pula mungkin mencecah ratusan ribu... rupiah :)

© 2009 Viswalingam Kanesan