by
Howl Pillay
June 11 20202Howl Pillay
Shame on our politicians! Once again it looks like we need help from
outside to fix our problems.
outside to fix our problems.
Remember the Pangkor Treaty circa 1874?
A quick refresher and we are on our way..
Sultan Ali rules Perak from Sayong on the Perak River. His palace is a modest
house with thatched roofing amidst a few coconut palms. Compared to the
rich merchants in Singapore and Penang the Sultan is a poor man indeed.
Bo lui la!
house with thatched roofing amidst a few coconut palms. Compared to the
rich merchants in Singapore and Penang the Sultan is a poor man indeed.
Bo lui la!
Nothing wrong here for world trade has by-passed him. The tin mines in
the north, at Larut, worked by rival groups of Chinese, are controlled by a
powerful chief Ngah Ibrahim working closely with rich merchants in Penang.
No, not Jho Low la!
the north, at Larut, worked by rival groups of Chinese, are controlled by a
powerful chief Ngah Ibrahim working closely with rich merchants in Penang.
No, not Jho Low la!
The death of Sultan Ali in 1871 sparked a fight for the throne,
ignoring established procedures.
Clearly a gomen official had forgotten to revise the SOPs governing these
matters. All the claimants smell money, big money, so SOPs don’t count
anyway.
ignoring established procedures.
Clearly a gomen official had forgotten to revise the SOPs governing these
matters. All the claimants smell money, big money, so SOPs don’t count
anyway.
But first a side story. When Sultan Ali was dying he requested to see his
daughter Raja Tipah, married to the Raja Muda, Abdullah, one of the
claimants. Fearing a plot, Abdullah refuses to take her home up the Perak
River.
daughter Raja Tipah, married to the Raja Muda, Abdullah, one of the
claimants. Fearing a plot, Abdullah refuses to take her home up the Perak
River.
Angry, she says: “ I will follow any man brave enough to take me
to my father”. We are not sure if she said, “I want to advise you
something”.
Raja Daud of Selangor, pretending to take her to Sayong, takes her
instead to his kampong.
They elope!
to my father”. We are not sure if she said, “I want to advise you
something”.
Raja Daud of Selangor, pretending to take her to Sayong, takes her
instead to his kampong.
They elope!
Abdullah does nothing to avenge himself except divorcing Raja Tipah.
Big mistake! You can hear the boos along the Perak River all the way to
the estuary, his power base. In steps Yusuf from Senggang, the second
claimant, senior to Abdullah.
Big mistake! You can hear the boos along the Perak River all the way to
the estuary, his power base. In steps Yusuf from Senggang, the second
claimant, senior to Abdullah.
The third claimant, Bendahara Ismail whose powerbase is in Upper Perak is
strictly not royalty although married to one. Twice he had been bypassed for
promotion to Raja Muda.
Now an elderly man, his followers egg him on: “Boleh Boss, apa na malu?”
strictly not royalty although married to one. Twice he had been bypassed for
promotion to Raja Muda.
Now an elderly man, his followers egg him on: “Boleh Boss, apa na malu?”
Now for the fourth claimant, Ngah Ibrahim of Larut, the wealthiest of the
chiefs, closely associated with the Chinese in Penang, and he supported
Ismail the third claimant, harbouring thoughts of becoming Sultan himself
one day.
chiefs, closely associated with the Chinese in Penang, and he supported
Ismail the third claimant, harbouring thoughts of becoming Sultan himself
one day.
No, we are not talking about the present but the past. History! All the big
shots are now summoned to Sayong (not Sheraton la!) to bury Sultan Ali and
choose a new one. Abdullah demurs, knowing Yusuf was waiting upriver
at Senggang, with evil intent.
shots are now summoned to Sayong (not Sheraton la!) to bury Sultan Ali and
choose a new one. Abdullah demurs, knowing Yusuf was waiting upriver
at Senggang, with evil intent.
In Abdullah’s absence, the chiefs chose the third claimant as the Sultan,
and the suspicion is that the chiefs wanted a pliable man like Ismail to rule
over them for their own selfish ends. The weaker the Sultan, the stronger
the warlords.
Beware!
and the suspicion is that the chiefs wanted a pliable man like Ismail to rule
over them for their own selfish ends. The weaker the Sultan, the stronger
the warlords.
Beware!
Then the Chinese start fighting again viciously, over tin. The Sultan, the
claimants and the chiefs realign their loyalties until friend becomes foe and
foe becomes the enemy of my friend or whatever.
claimants and the chiefs realign their loyalties until friend becomes foe and
foe becomes the enemy of my friend or whatever.
Finally, fearing a general unrest and citing ‘commercial interests’, one
Andrew Clarke with that fearsome white moustache did some Chinese
bashing a at Pangkor followed by more of the same dished out to the
Malay chiefs but again it all sounds familiar.
Andrew Clarke with that fearsome white moustache did some Chinese
bashing a at Pangkor followed by more of the same dished out to the
Malay chiefs but again it all sounds familiar.
Abdullah turned up at Pangkor requesting a Resident in return for becoming
Sultan; Sultan Ismail was invited but was a no-show and Yusuf was not even
invited.
So Sultan Abdullah ruled in the south and Sultan Ismail, the north, hanging
on to the regalia.
Sultan; Sultan Ismail was invited but was a no-show and Yusuf was not even
invited.
So Sultan Abdullah ruled in the south and Sultan Ismail, the north, hanging
on to the regalia.
If you are confused by now, start reading the papers, nevermind history.
So how do we go from here is the billion ringgit question. We are done with
Sir Andrew Clarke and the Brits. The Americans are rioting and the Russians
are sorting out the Arabs.
So how do we go from here is the billion ringgit question. We are done with
Sir Andrew Clarke and the Brits. The Americans are rioting and the Russians
are sorting out the Arabs.
First look for a nice small round table. Then double the ECRL price, smiling at
the Chinese. That done, increase patrolling the waters around Pangkor using
our submarines. Then look up a costume shop for Victorian-era props and
costumes.
the Chinese. That done, increase patrolling the waters around Pangkor using
our submarines. Then look up a costume shop for Victorian-era props and
costumes.
Almost done! Now let us invite Comrade Xi Jinping to ‘kow-thim” our
warring parties, still at it after 150 years as to who should succeed and
who should wait for his turn while the rakyat are reduced to a feudal
condition, living on handouts.
warring parties, still at it after 150 years as to who should succeed and
who should wait for his turn while the rakyat are reduced to a feudal
condition, living on handouts.
Just to frighten our great chiefs into cutting a compromise for the common
good and making a sacrifice for succeeding generations, we must insist
Comrade Xi sport a white walrus moustache bought from that costume shop
I told you about.
good and making a sacrifice for succeeding generations, we must insist
Comrade Xi sport a white walrus moustache bought from that costume shop
I told you about.
One last thing, a hundred years hence, a history exam question may read
like this:
like this:
Soalan - Sewaktu negara kita dilanda oleh politik gila kuasa sekitaran
tahun 2020, pemimpin Cina yang membantu penyelesaiannya ialah:
tahun 2020, pemimpin Cina yang membantu penyelesaiannya ialah:
- Deng Xiaopeng
- Michael Cheng
- Lee Kachiang
- Xi Jinping
- Mahathir bin Muhyuddin
