An important photograph of a building that played a role in our nation's history prompts the writer to walk down memory lane and relive events that helped make Merdeka a reality.
THE QUEST FOR INDEPENDENCE
DAWN has barely broken, but Jalan Hang Jebat is already a hive of activity.
Named after one of the greatest silat exponents in history, this place is home to the renowned Jonker Street Flea Market, where local vendors and their out-of-state counterparts start arriving in the wee hours to display their wares while hoping that the day will bring a stream of successful transactions.
Equally early to this popular Melaka venue are eagle-eyed treasure hunters who harness mobile phone flashlights and illumination from nearby street lamps to quickly scan displayed items for bargains. Strong proponents of the adage that the early bird catches the worm, they are driven primarily by the thrill of finding unique and important historical items that form part of our nation's rich heritage.
HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPH
Joining the crowd, adrenaline quickly courses through my veins after I come across a tatty album with a note on the cover indicating that the photographs inside are priced at just RM1 each.
Learning from experience that cheap valuations often have no bearing on rarity, I reach out and begin leafing through the jet-black pages with hopes of finding a few bargains.
Soaring expectations, however, are quickly brought crashing down to earth as the presence of numerous empty spaces indicate that the album has already been picked over countless times before by others.
While most remaining black and white prints feature ordinary scenes, the historic Meng Seng Charitable Association building depicted on a particular photograph gives the heart reason enough to skip a beat and boosts a sagging morale.
After carefully retrieving the precious image and paying the vendor, I head off for a well-earned breakfast at a coffee shop further down the road before traversing a short distance to the Jalan Bendahara-Jalan Munshi Abdullah junction, where the Meng Seng Charitable Association building still stands today.
First established at Lorong Bukit Cina in 1923 as a social club for members to indulge in cultural activities, Meng Seng Charitable Association rapidly gained popularity during a time when forms of wholesome entertainment for the common folk were few and far between.
Apart from sharing news on matters related to their community, members congregated there to sing and play classical musical instruments. On important festivals, they staged opera shows and acrobatic performances which were well-attended by people from all over Melaka.
HONOURING SACRIFICES
Not long after its establishment, association members started performing charitable acts by providing free cultural lessons for children and engaging traditional medicine practitioners to treat the poor regardless of race and religion. The elderly, some hailing from as far away as Merlimau, travelled by bullock carts during the early hours of the morning in order to arrive in time for their treatments.
As time passed, space at the original site proved inadequate. The association moved twice to locations at Jalan Kee Ann and Jalan Bunga Raya before finally settling at its present location in July 1941.
The spanking new building, however, caught the attention of the Japanese Imperial Army which invaded Malaya just six months later. Acting on rumours that wealthy members had funded anti-Japanese efforts in China, the Japanese Military Police confiscated the building and turned it into the dreaded Melaka Kempetai headquarters.
Many Meng Seng Charitable Association leaders were rounded up, tortured and executed by way of decapitation in the very building built with their hard-earned money and selfless initiatives. It was said that prisoner screams were so loud that they could even be heard by movie-goers at the nearby Rex cinema.
Surviving association members paid tribute to their fallen colleagues after the Japanese Occupation and honoured their sacrifices by resuming Meng Seng Charitable Association's philanthropic endeavours with renewed vigour. Subsequent expansions saw the inclusion of brass bands and acrobatic teams. Additional activities included talent shows, dancing classes and mass nuptials for the poor.
The Meng Seng Charitable Association building's finest hour came not long after the Tunku Abdul Rahman-led Umno-MCA Alliance was swept to landslide victories in the 1952 town and municipal council elections.
ROAD TO FREEDOM
Rudely taken aback by the unexpected results, the colonial government resorted to delay tactics when Tunku pushed for a national election to the powerful Legislative Council. The ploy was aimed at holding back Malaya's aspirations for freedom, as granting the Kedah prince's request would bring Malaya a step closer to independence.
In response, Alliance members pledged to hold national elections within a year during a conference at Kuala Lumpur's Majestic Hotel on Aug 24, 1953.
At a subsequent meeting in Melaka, the popular political party went a step further by declaring its determination to free Malaya from colonial rule within the next three years.
Although the colonial government verbally rejected the proposal, Gerald Templer, in his capacity as the Malayan High Commissioner, knew he had to work with those who had majority support of the people, as the ongoing communist terrorist threat could only be quashed by winning the hearts and minds of all Malayans.
Those were trying times for Malaya as soldiers, both Commonwealth and Malayans, the police and special constables constantly put their lives in harm's way while slashing through jungles and wading across swamps to rid the nation of the guerrilla army bent on overthrowing the government and disrupting the much-cherished Malayan way of life.
In March 1954, Tunku blew his top after the colonial government announced the names of 50 unofficial interim Legislative Council members, saying that Alliance-allocated seats were far too few in relation to the fact that the party represented 90 per cent of the Malayan people.
Almost immediately, the decision was made for Umno-MCA to despatch a three-man team to put their case before the British Government in London. In the end, only Tunku and Tan Tong Hye, MCA secretary and first Alliance secretary-general, made the trip.
LITTLE IN CASH, RICH IN HOPE
Just as the duo was about to board the aircraft, news came that the colonial secretary in London refused to meet or talk with them. Steeled determination, however, prompted Tunku and Tan to ignore the message and forge ahead with their plan.
Upon arrival, it dawned upon Tunku and Tan that there had never been a mission to London with so little as they both had. As guests with no official backing from colonial Malaya, they were unwelcome. Furthermore, the amount of money they had between the two of them was a joke. There was not enough for separate rooms even at the mid-range Gloucester Road Hotel. In the end, they settled for a single room with very worn looking double beds.
Despite the inadequacy, thoughts of people from all walks of life who came in droves to hear Tunku speak at the Meng Seng Charitable Association hall months earlier warmed their hearts tremendously. Even the balcony on the first floor of the two-storey building was filled to the brim with those who yearned for freedom from colonial rule.
A large painting within Memorial Pengisytiharan Kemerdekaan at nearby Jalan Parameswara in Bandar Hilir successfully captures the moment when the people willingly loosened their purse strings after learning of the impending London mission's financial constraints.
Tunku and his colleagues were pleasantly taken aback when it started to rain gold chains, necklaces, earrings, bangles, bracelets, watches, rings, dollar notes and coins from well-wishers on the balcony. Down below, just as many willing hearts gave what little they had to volunteers who spread out large pieces of cloth to collect the donations.
That touching incident made everyone present at the Meng Seng Charitable Association building acutely aware of how much independence meant to all Malayans and steeled Tunku and Tan's resolve to make their impossible mission to London possible and spend the money entrusted to them wisely and sparingly.
Above all else, they resolved to make headway so that Merdeka would one day become reality for all those who yearned for self-rule.
SEEKING A COMMON GOAL
Even before difficult negotiations with the British could begin, room-sharing brought about a totally unexpected challenge for Tunku as Tan turned out to be a snorer. Mindful that they were in London on a shoestring budget, the Alliance leader tried his best to endure Tan's unintentional ability to breathe noisily soon as his head hit the pillow.
After several sleepless nights, the men came to a compromise where Tan would stay awake until Tunku had fallen into deep slumber before turning in for the night himself.
The arrangement worked only for the next few days, as the whole rigmarole repeated itself when Tan became used to the chair and started snoring before Tunku even close his eyes.
Although Tunku and Tan were poor in pocket, their hearts were rich with hope of securing a better future for Malaya. Joined by Tun Abdul Razak on his way home from the United States, the men succeeded against all odds in talks at the Colonial Office and emerged with the all-important letter for the Malayan High Commissioner.
In that communique, Oliver Lyttleton, the secretary of state for the colonies, stated "that if in practice it was found that the ability of the majority-elected party to function effectively was being frustrated by a deliberately destructive minority, then the High Commissioner must take steps to remedy it".
With the road to independence looking brighter, the duo returned to their hotel room to pack. During the process, Tunku noticed stacks of unopened parcels sent to Tan by his MCA colleagues back home in Malaya.
When quizzed, Tan told Tunku to ignore them as they were memos setting out the Chinese case for Colonial Office consideration.
Tan rightly decided against showing them to the officials, as that would have given the British further grounds to thwart their quest for independence. Tunku was filled with the utmost admiration and respect for his compatriot when Tan said that he was not willing to risk anything that would jeopardise their chances at success. He further allayed Tunku's concerns by saying that his MCA friends would be understanding after hearing his explanations upon arrival in Kuala Lumpur.
The first London mission's success paved the way for general elections in Persekutuan Tanah Melayu just a year later. Some six months before ballots were cast, the Alliance welcomed the MIC into its fold on Jan 5, 1955.
Tunku was elated with this inclusion, as the Federation of Malaya's dominant political Alliance was at last complete with Malays, Indians and Chinese speaking through their own parties with one voice, seeking the common goal of winning the general elections and making the Merdeka dream a reality for all who call this blessed land their home.