In this posting I want to talk about Flags. I was born in 1939 and grew up during the Japanese occupation of Malaya from 1941 to 1945. So the first flag I saw was the Japanese flag, the white flag with the red circle in the centre. With the return of the British authority the Union Jack was again flown everywhere. With the defeat of the Japanese and the return of the British authority in Malaya the school was reopened. Except for the Japanese school all other schools was closed during the Japanese occupation. In January 1946 I start schooling. I remember my father took me to Sekolah Melayu Teruntun at Jalan Gambut in Kuantan. From the shop-house at Wall Street [now Jalan Mahkota] where we live we walk across the Padang, then follow the path across the grassland behind the Kuantan District Office to the school. The school is across the road with a few Pokok Kelapa Bali planted in front near the roadside. Kelapa Bali is what the Oil Palm is now known. It was at the school that I first saw the flag, the white and black of the Pahang state flag, as well the Union Jack, the flag of the British colonial authority. Before 1948 all the states of Tanah Melayu are independent states with the state of Pahang rule by the Sultan of the state. At that time the Sultan of Pahang was Sultan Abu Bakar bin Abdullah. It was the time before the Federation of Malaya was form thus there was no federal flag. We live at the shop-house and we would play along the Kaki Lima of the rows of shop-houses. Many of the shop are turn into Chinese Clan's club and inside all the clubhouses are the Chinese flag and Portrait of their leader which I latter found out is the flag of the Kuomintang and the portrait of Chiang Kai Shek. Along the Bukit Ubi road in the shop-houses opposite the Padang was where the Chattier do their business as Money-lander. Inside these shop hangs the Indian flag and the portrait of Gandhi; at that time I did not know it was the flag of India and that portrait was that of the famous Mahatma Gandhi. Anyway to us kids the flags are of no significant and thought was just sort of a decoration inside or outside buildings. It was later when I became a Boy Scout that they tell us about the important of flag and that it must be given due respect. One aspect that I still remember till these day is that never ever step on the flag of your country. It should be always be flying high and be proud of it. Even to these days I have the Jalur Gemilang flown in front of my house especially on Merdeka day and I just could not understand why my non Malay neighbours never fly the flag. I have live in this neighbourhood since 1974 and have not seen any of them flown the flag in front of their houses. Sad indeed. To me the flag is a symbol of nationalism representing the freedom and dignity of the country and must be given due respect. Above is the flag of the State of Pahang.
Have a nice day.
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