IN H.M. SERVICE 4: SONS OF ABDULLAH

This picture was taken in 1975 when Abdul Mukhti reported for his first posting as the Assistant District Officer of Baling.

Sitting from left: Syed Unan Mashri bin Syed Abdullah & Abdul Wahab bin Abdullah

Standing from left: Syed Zain bin Syed Abdullah & Abdul Mukthi bin Abdullah

I was transferred to the District of Baling as the Collector of District Land Office on the 1st. of March 1974. Syed Unan Mashri bin Syed Abdullah was my assistant. Tuan Haji Pawanteh was the District Officer. His assistant was Abdul Wahab bin Abdullah. Then in March 1975, a new cadet KCS officer reported for his first posting as another Assistant District Office (Development).

Baling District Office's staff with the District Officer, Haji Pak Wan Teh (seated 4 from left)

I was very suprised when Abdul Mukhti alighted from the bus and stopped over the Baling Rest House. With a guitar strung around his shoulder, his hair was quiet long and he wore knee torn jeans. I was wondering whether he was suitable as an Assistant District Officer in the District of Baling. After a few days, he even successfully participated in the local talentime but he registered himself as an occupant of the Baling Rest House and not as ADO. He was in fact a good singer and also has many other musical talents. My initial assumption about him was totally wrong since he could adapt himself very well with the Baling folks as he was himself a genuine rural boy from Tanah Merah, Jitra.

Ironically four of us shared the same father's name i.e Abdullah or all of us were the sons of Abdullah. The four of us worked hand in hand in the administration of the Baling District. It was quiet challenging for us since the rakyats were more vocal in their demands after the 1974 hunger demonstrations in Baling. The market price of rubber was at the lowest level. While the hunger for land was at the highest level.

Disregarding the provisions of the land laws, they began to illegally clear state lands for cultivation. One of those daring desperados was Makrifat who single handedly cleared illegally approximately 100 acres of state land at Bukit Perenggan in the Mukim of Pulai for planting of fruit trees. However through our green book programs, we managed to forge a closer rapport with the rakyats and simultaniously it helped to curb the illegal land clearings.

One of my illegal clearing inspections with the local Penghulu

Since Abdul Mukthi was the classmate of Syed Unan Mashri, naturally Abdul Mukthi stayed at Syed Unan Mashri's quarters beside the District Office Building. Later on, another Syed Unan Mashri's Residential College mate, Dentist Dr. Kang Eng Loon also stayed at Syed Unan Mashri's quarters. They were later on joined by Azmi Jaafar who was also their classmate.and worked as a temporary teacher. With four of them in the house, you could imagine the degree of activities that would take place in the quarters. I used also to sleep in the quarters when I felt scared going back to my own quarters in the middle of the night.

With the help of Rahim LPP, we managed to start our own green book program on the idle land in the compound of Syed Unan Mashri's quarters. With the assistant of Leh, we even managed to start a Thai kick boxing class in the quarters. Being a novice, I did not realised my boxing prowess until I unintentionally boxed Abdul Muhti cold into the sprawling stars.

I stayed at another quarters beside the tennis court near the District Officer's quarters. Wahab Abdullah occupied another quarters beside my quarters. Our rendervous point was at the old Baling Rest beside the Baling Mosque. where we have our lunch and dinner post paid at the end of the month. We were also joined by other bachelors such as Inspector Azizan Aras, Insp. Ibrahim Talib and Mohd. Nassri or Ed from the Baling District Police. We were very closely bonded since the Rest House Operator, the late Pak Darus and Kak Timah were very accomodating to our absurd antics.

Picture taken in 1975 at Wahab's wedding to Mahaya at Langgar. From left: Hassan, Wahab, Me, Syed Unan Mashri and Penghulu Zakaria of Siong.

We chartered a bus for our journey from Baling to Langgar. Most of the District Office staffs attended the wedding. We even helped Wahab to wear his best wedding costume in Langgar.

The Rest House was our nursery of ideas. From the dinner discussios, we would come with a lot of brilliant ideas that would cater for the district's social activities. We would then organised a lot of functions that would cater for the needs of youths, students, farmers, old folks and the indigenous people in Ulu Legong. For the whole year, the Disrict of Baling was not short of social activities.

Meet the rakyat session with the Ulu Legong aborigines
Pak Darus our blow pipe champion receiving the trophy from the DO

Although we did have a lot of activities in Baling, yet we used to cross over to Penang trying our skills in the new grace on ten pin bowling. Syed Unan Mashri's car Ford Cortina, KF 5536 was our favourite transport to Penang. Distance was not an obstacle to us since Syed Unan Mashri driving skill was at par with any F1 racing drivers. For the journey from Alor Setar to Baling on 1974 road conditions, Syed Unan Mashri took only one hour fifteen minutes. To achieve this feat, Syed Unan Mashri considered as non existence on any thing that passed across the road during his driving. Luckily his victims were only chickens and ducks.

As a result of our escapades in Penang, I would always be caught red handed coming late to the office by our boss, Dato' Syed Mansor Barakbah. Dato' Syed Mansor's habit was to have his unscheduled official visits in his Volvo sports car PD 2000 at 7.30 am which was half an hour earlier than the official office opening hour. To overcome this catastrophy, I then send the best fruits in Baling to his personal assistant, Puan Siti Jalnah during the fruit seasons. Siti Jalnah then provided me with the early warning system so that Dato' Syed Mansor could not catch me red handed any more. So Syed Unan Mashri and I were left in peace administrating the Baling Land Office.

Apart from the other bachelors, there were also other bachelors or married bachelors such as Ali Kogia from the District Farmers Association (LPP), Mad Belia from the Youth Department and Manaf, the District Manager of Bank Rakyat. Sadly for us all three of them has passed away before us. Even our closed confidants, Mohd. Nassri or Ed was called by Allah on the 14th. March 2009. We do sincerely pray that Ed and the others who has gone before us would get the blessings of Allah and place among the faithfuls. Insya Allah.