Air drops

read the leaflets on the ground

calling malayans fighting fellow malayans.

time is on your side. just save it up.  time to unite. time to break free.  time to celebrate.

gong xi fa cai 1953!

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The good old days, when vehicles were really strolling around KL without hassle. This picture, taken by Wong Swee Lin depicts the solitary National Mosque and the glorious past of Morris Minor, Austin and the Toong Fong bus. History was made here.  And more historic events were made here.  Regardless of who we are, there are reminiscence of the past that strike our senses.  Some may have perished through times, some were just born at the time this picture was taken.  Some hailed Merdeka, many shouted Reformasi.  It was here that some few thousands people marched to call for leaders to step down.  It was here when thousands of students demonstrated for Baling.  Here again, people marched for Bersih 1 -3.  Here again people will march for Bersih 4.  But time will tell what will happen to this nation if we do not review the history of the nation.  It was through a common struggle that we achieved the Malaysian dream.  From Malaya to Malaysia.  With love and admiration for the people who risked their lives to record a glorious history.   

Jungle walk in 1953 at the Malayan/Thai border

‘Some time in 1953, a Press Officer and I were assigned to cover a patrol by the Jungle Field Force on the Malayan/Thailand border. Arriving at Tanah Merah, in the state of Kelantan, we were glad to hear the Jungle Field Force, in cooperation with the police, had been combing the border for Communist terrorists and their camps.

‘From a Malayan Railway coach we changed to a Thai train to proceed to the Thai town of Sungai Padi. Apart from my photographic material and equipment I was weighed down by a kitbag containing four days’ ration, clothing and arms weighing about 70 lb. We embarked on an endless walk, although later it was confirmed to be only 10 miles – through padi fields and undergrowth.

‘We camped in the open. The only water available was from the padi fields. That night was memorable for its oppressive warmth and the waves of mosquitoes stinging and humming us to very tired sleep. Early next morning we started for the hills for a combing of the border for Communist terrorists and their camps. We did about 15 miles day journey and camped out another night in the jungle. The next day we went back to Tanah Merah.’

INFORMATION DEPT'S 14-MILE JUNGLE WALK TO PHOTOGRAPH SIR ANTHONY EDEN

A report from a 1955 Information Department monthly report describes Mr Wong's mission to document the visit of Sir Anthony Eden, then Foreign Secretary but later the Prime Minister of Great Britain.


Kuala Lumpur-born Micahel Wong Swee Lin, a Dept of Information cameraman in Kuala Lumpur, walked 14 miles through the jungle to photograph Sir Anthony Eden’s visit to a jungle fort.

The trek is here described in his own words:-

‘The brief visit to the Federation and Singapore by the British Foreign Secretary (Sir Anthony Eden) and Lady Eden after the SEATO Conference at Bangkok, was extensively covered by both the English and vernacular Press. As a photographer attached to the Federation Information Services, I had the fine opportunity of photographying these VIPs on a number of occasions. One trip was to a jungle fort – ‘Fort Langkap’ (one of the many establishment in the Federation), which is in the state of Negri Sembilan.
‘The head of our Press Division told me I would be required to walk to the fort (the name of the particular fort at that time was still ‘top secret’) as the helicopter laid on earlier was not available. The walk, I was further told, would be about 14 miles there and back and would take about two and half hours each way through the jungle.
‘A suit of jungle green and matching boots supplied to me previously came in handy. Having rendered myself as mobile as possible I bade farewell to my wife in the early hours on the morning of February 28, 1955 and with a Malayan Film Unit cameraman, left Kuala Lumpur or Seremban (some 42 miles away) by car and then proceeded to a small town named Tanjong Ipoh, 20 miles from Seremban, where we met the official party. This consisted of the British Advisior, Negeri Sembilan; the District Officer, Kuala Pilah; the Protector of Aborigines, Negeri Sembilan; the Officer-in-Charge Polce Operations, Kuala Pilah, and a police escort of 15 men. We all proceeded to another kampong (village) by Land Rover – a further 6 miles – until we reached a point where Land Rovers couldn’t go.
‘The forst stage of our walk started at about noon. Although it was then only seven miles to the fort the walk seemed endless. The first 20 minutes were agony as far as I was concerned. We encountered two very steep hills. My equipment weighed 15lb and being inexperienced in this type of climbing, I gasped for breath while trying to keep up the pace. While doing so a small insect flew into my mouth. At this stage another member of the party fainted (through exhaustion). We managed to revive him and after a short rest were able to proceed.
‘Leeches kept attacking us. They sucked blood and then dropped off, leaving minute holes with blood oozing out. They penetrate socks and even jungle boots. Around us was the incessant screech of jungle insects and birds and the soung of waterfalls or running water. The atmosphere seemed most eerie.
‘The jungle paths were gloomy but shady yet I sweated profusively. We waded through shallow streams and crossed rivers over improvised bridges made of felled trees, which were most slippery and difficult to cross. We also waded through a foot-deep swamp for at leats a mile with deep ravine on one side. This mud-wading was most fatiguing. It was not until 2.30 p.m., nearly 2 ½ hours’ walk, that the Fort loomed in sight.
‘I could see many aborigines happily bathing in the stream, near the fort and others busily cultivating crops. They had carefree and contented looks.
‘I was extremely tired but when served with a cup of tea it seemed never in my life had tasted anything so delicious!
‘Towards 3.20 p.m. the moaning sound of the helicopters bringing Sir Anthony Eden and party could be heard. They hovered into view and safely landed. The distinguished figure of the Foreign Secretary stepped out and, while my camera clicked, he spoke to the men on duty at the Fort – police, members of the 3rd Police Field Force; Royal Engineer sappers and staff of the Protector of the Aborigines Office. He had a friendly smile for all.
‘He watched the aborigines planting grass on the Fort’s new airstrip and keenly examined the traditional blowpipes and darts – and saw an aborigine use a blowpipe.
‘After about half an hour’s stay Sir Anthony Ece and party left ... We wasted no time in starting our journey back. Naturally the return was more tedious. But we plodded on and at last saw the Land Rovers. At Seremban our transport was waiting. Once on board I soon fell into deep sleep and awoke to find that we had arrived in Kuala Lumpur.’

So, so you think you can picture

Isn't it time for young Malaysians to reflect on the yesteryears' people who gave their lives to ensure that Malaysians remain united. If only we don't question each other's rights and sinerety, and if only we understand the feelings and aspirations of our forefathers, in their pursuit to create Malaysia.

A lifetime dedicated to documenting OneMalaysia

Michael Wong Swee Lin was born in Kuala Lumpur on October 3, 1926. His father was with the telecommunications department in Rasah, Kuala Kubu, Selangor area. His mother’s family lived in Kepong. When his father was transferred to Muda Hulu to Tapah Road, Ipoh, Wong studied at the Government English School and the Anderson School, Ipoh. (January 1, 1933 – December 12, 1938. When the Japanese occupied Malaya, Wong worked with the Tokyo Bus Company (January 1, 1939 - December 12, 1941, as a clerk, in charge of petrol for the company’s consumption.


When the British returned, he was employed as a temporary English teacher at a public Chinese school at Rasa from July 1, 1946 to December 31, 1946 earning $130 a month. Wong then taught English at Xu Hua Chinese School from January 1, 1947 to May 30, 1948, earning about $140 a month.



Joined the Department of Public Relations as a temporary clerk, earning $120 a month from August 26, 1948 to end of 1949 and was employed as a State Clerical Officer after passing a special examination. He was then appointed as Photographer in 1950 with the Public Relations Department after passing a special photography examination conducted by the government. During that time he had to support 8 people – his grandmother, mother, four sisters and two brothers.

The True Spirit of Merdeka

Every August 31 is Malaysia's birthday. And the media would definitely publish and air all those classic photographs of the past. But do they acknowledge the people who had worked painstakingly to capture those moments? It is sad that all the big guns in the Malaysian Press do not acknowledge the contributions of senior photographers who had documented all those old pictures of Malaya. What they only do was to post the source as theirs when in actual fact were captured by former Information Department photographers.

Long ago during the early days after Malaysia's Independence, the Information Department staffs were the most handy of all people in disseminating information about the country to rural folks. They used to put up shows on big screens in the remotest area of Malaysia informing the people about the country's development Green Book and Red Book Plans, conveying important messages pertaining to the Communists threat, or merely airing old films for free entertainment.

There were also incidents when their comrades from other department, for instance, the Filem Negara unit, were killed in accidents or murdered by bandits, in line of duty. And most of the photographs we are viewing now take no credit of these people who had sacrificed their very own life to get the job done.

I hate to see these big guns running the show without even a small credit to the Unsung Heroes. Perhap true to the phrase, 'Old photographers do not diminish, they're only out of frame.'

People like the Large Format print companies, many of them, are 'hungry' of any hint of old photographs of the Royalty or prominent leaders, and get them treated and printed for exhibitions but pay no respect to the people who caught those moments on film. They even reproduce the prints on canvas for show at their gallery or for other people to purchase at hansome prices. They are actually the cannibals. I'd like to smack their pretty faces, but the law forbid.

So come Merdeka Day, these cannibals are the real victors, bagging home big profits, out of the true spirit of the people who had dedicated their whole life documenting the historic moments of the past. And these cannibals are the same people who are contributing the many pictures at exhibitions around the country, the Merdeka Stadium, National Art Gallery, in publications and etc.