"THAT’S Richard Hale over there. He recently published a very interesting book about this place. Thanks to his labour of love, Fraser's Hill has been receiving a marked increase in visitor-ship," whispers my friend, gesturing towards an elderly Caucasian man with a wide-rimmed Boonie hat walking in our direction.
Having set up his tripod and telescope nearby, Hale ambles over. Turning to my friend, he asks: “Seen any rare ones?" My friend proceeds to rattle off a list of names, which includes the Silver-eared Mesia, Long-tailed Sibia and Chestnut-crowned Laughing Thrush but his information fails to elicit an excited response.
Obviously, these are just common passerines, a general term used for perching birds that account for more than half of all bird species in the world.
Particularly active during the early mornings and late evenings, these feathered creatures become the centre of attraction for birdwatchers like us who flock to Fraser's Hill regularly to indulge in our common interest.
During the course of our conversation, I manage to introduce myself to Hale who in turn, is delighted to learn of my aspirations to be a birdwatcher. He immediately volunteers invaluable information about the best places to see birds in his favourite Malaysian hill resort.
The next two hours pass by in a flash and we have a whale of a time peering out from the many strategic locations, looking for lesser known species.
Seeing the majestic Blyth's Hawk Eagle soaring gracefully in the sky directly above us before coming to rest on a dead tree trunk is the highlight for me and needless to say, I couldn’t stop clicking my camera.
LESSON ON FRASER'S HILL
On our way back, Hale invites us for a drink at a nearby coffee shop. In between sips of icy cold coffee, the keen bird-watcher and naturalist recounts his many visits to Fraser's Hill over the past three decades.
"Despite the many changes that have taken place in this strategic Pahang/Selangor border area over the years, I’m thrilled to note that Fraser's Hill has managed to retain its rustic charm,” begins Hale with a smile.
At ease with his warm and friendly demeanour, I decide to take the opportunity to find out what nudged him to publish his recent book, Fraser's Hill and Lewis J. Fraser of Singapore.
Again he smiles, before replying: "I’ve always been fascinated with the day to day history of the people living in Malaya and the Straits Settlements during the 19th century. To me, those formative years are really exciting. My interest to know more deepens each time I delve further to separate fact from fiction.”
He applied the same principle during his visits to Fraser's Hill and, over the years, became more curious after discovering that the tourist pamphlets and web pages promoting this popular getaway contained a lot of flawed information about the individual named Fraser after whom the hill is named.
Aided by an inquisitive mind and rigorous research, Hale unearthed a fascinating story about the little known Scottish pioneer, Lewis James Fraser, who was, contrary to popular belief, not even remotely connected to the Fraser of the famous firm Fraser & Neave (F&N).
Fraser, elaborates Hale, became a well-known and popular businessman in Singapore during the early 1880s but fickle markets and financial difficulties resulted in a high-profile court case that ruined him financially. He ended up serving two years of rigorous imprisonment.
Upon his release, Fraser left Singapore for Pahang and successfully developed a lucrative tin mining and transport business from his base in Tras. Several years later, he moved his operations to what we know today as Fraser's Hill after discovering rich tin deposits there.
Chinese workers were recruited and a steep track was constructed for mules to transport the extracted tin ore down to Raub, the nearest town.
Fraser retired at the turn of the 20th century and, with diminishing yields, the hill was more or less abandoned until 1919 when a decision was made to turn it into a new hill resort.
After spending innumerable hours poring over reference books, government reports and past correspondences, Hale made many startling new discoveries, corrected quite a number of misquoted facts and dispelled several unsubstantiated rumours about Fraser.
When asked to elaborate further, Hale merely smiles and suggests that we read the book for ourselves.
"It’s always better to study literature in its actual form rather than hear a revised version, even though it is from the author himself," he advises before revealing that two more biographies from the same time period are in the works and should hit the bookshops in the coming years.
Our Fraser's Hill discussion having run its course, our conversation returns to the topic of birdwatching.
At this juncture, my friend, who has known Hale for more than two decades, asks him to reveal the most memorable moment in his life related to our common passion.
A pause ensues as Hale draws a long, deep breath and gazes out to a nearby group of trees swaying in the late morning breeze. It takes the elderly Singapore permanent resident a few more minutes of contemplation before he finally speaks.
STORY OF SUNGEI BULOH
"The year was 1986. I’d just arrived in Singapore to take charge as CEO of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and I’d chanced upon a previously unknown birding haven one weekend when I was exploring the north west of the island,” begins Hale.
“I watched migratory birds flying upstream from the Johor Straits and over the opposite bank of the river. It took me several more weekends to finally find the way round to that side. Mind you, there were no smart phones then, let alone navigational apps.”
Hale subsequently joined the Malayan Nature Society Singapore branch and discovered, to his delight, that no one knew of his secret paradise.
Some months later, however, he became distressed when news broke about plans to reclaim the entire area for high-tech agriculture.
Keen to secure the place for his feathered friends, Hale and his fellow society members produced an informative pamphlet that proposed the establishment of a nature reserve. Copies were sent to every Member of Parliament, Permanent Secretary, Minister and even the President at that time, Dr Wee Kim Wee.
Their publicity blitz worked like charm. "Dr Wee came for a visit and I think the birds must have known as they put on a display better than before or since," recalls Hale, eyes dancing.
Inspired, Hale and his fellow society members talked about the project at cocktail parties and dinners to anyone who’d listen. The overwhelming response prompted them to finally hand in an official proposal to the government for the preservation of 300 hectares of pristine Sungei Buloh wetlands as a nature reserve.
After nine long months, the government announced the decision to establish a nature park of 90 hectares.
"The rest, as they say, is history. Sungei Buloh has since gone from strength to strength and secured an impeccable international reputation as one of the great places for birds in Southeast Asia," adds Hale.
EARLIER VISIT TO MALAYA
As the minutes tick, we’re taken aback by Hale’s disclosure that he’d previously lived in Singapore and visited many parts of Malaya north of the Causeway during an earlier stage of his life.
The bank posting 33 years ago was actually a homecoming of sorts, he confides. “My father, Captain Edward Hale, CBE, served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and by late 1945, he was posted to Hong Kong as Chief of Naval Intelligence, Asia Pacific. The following year, my mother plucked me from school and took me there, feeling that it was more important for me to get to know him rather than to remain separated. Fortunately, my headmaster agreed on condition that I returned by summer of 1948," quips Hale, adding that he was just nine at the time.
The family remained in the British colony for 15 months before the Fleet HQ moved to Singapore; and they moved too.
As a young boy, apart from a long weekend visit to Fraser’s Hill and being violently carsick on the drive up from Kuala Kubu, Hale doesn’t remember much about his stay. By May 1948, he was back in England.
Finishing secondary school in December 1955, Hale began his two-year mandatory National Service with the Royal Navy and spent six months training for a commission.
He passed as a midshipman and was first posted to the Amphibious Warfare Squadron in Malta followed by the destroyer, HMS Contest for nine months.
Coincidentally, HMS Contest's navigating officer was a keen birdwatcher and that stimulated Hale's interest, initially awoken by his mother and later, by his headmaster. From his superior, Hale learned a lot about marine bird life which added interest while watch-keeping on the bridge.
The next stage in his life involved the question of employment.
"I wasn’t sufficiently bright to get a scholarship and university fees were high, so I assured my parents I had no desire to attend university. However, I really enjoyed the Far East during my childhood and had but one ambition to return there," recalls Hale.
After much contemplation, he came to the conclusion that the best way to achieve his ambition was to apply for a job in the banking sector.
HSBC responded to his application and before long, Hale found himself succumbing to the mundane tasks in the London branch of sticking two-penny stamps on travellers cheques and disposing duplicate documents.
Shortly after joining, Hale was instructed to cross the English Channel and join the Paris branch as well as to learn French.
"Nobody asked if I already spoke it but my father had served as Naval Attache in the Embassy in Paris and I’d gone there every holiday from school. My then-girlfriend spoke no English and so my French wasn’t at all bad," says Hale, chuckling.
BACK TO THE FAR EAST
After Paris, Hale returned briefly to London before fulfilling his dream of returning to the Far East. He was sent out first class by sea to Hong Kong with another colleague and one who was returning on his second four-year tour.
At that time, expatriate executives did four years without leave and then had eight months leave, officially called recuperation of health, but it also served as time to find a wife before returning East for another four-year tour.
"Back then, we weren’t permitted to marry Asians on pain of dismissal. It was only some years later that this restriction was lifted!" explains Hale, looking visibly amused.
After 37 years of service with HSBC in Hong Kong, Germany, Japan, Malaysia and finally Singapore, Hale retired in 1995 and remained in the city, still involved with business affairs. He became a non-executive director of a number of public-listed companies including Capitaland, and Sembcorp Industries.
Health problems in 2011 made him realise the wisdom of complete retirement. Hale welcomed the transition happily as he could finally do the things he really wanted rather than those he had to.
His voice low, he confides: "I believe in the wisdom of having at least two hobbies when one is still working — not only for clearing the mind of day to day challenges but also as an investment for retirement. Stamps and bird watching have stood me in good stead and enabled me to meet people from all walks of life."
Towards the end of our unscheduled get together, Hale shares about his latest hobby — collecting early Singapore photographs.
Despite enjoying endless hours perusing the vintage prints that date from the 1860s to 1910, Hale highlights the frustration of not being able to date some accurately.
"The task is often impossible unless the subject is a one-off event. Sometimes, the buildings, attire, vehicles and signs can be helpful," he elaborates, before adding that it’s extremely dangerous for historians to make assumptions and second-guess their work.
Before parting ways, Hale advises: “Always return to the original source. If you plan to write in future, NEVER quote a secondary source. Mistakes get made and when repeated often enough, will gather respectability they do not deserve."
Eyes twinkling, he concludes: “Remember, history becomes more interesting as one gets older. And a day will come when you discover that to young people, you ARE history!"