Last month Hank asked to check for typographical errors on a few articles to be published by the OPA group. One source was OP Salleh Md. Nor, the first FRIM DG. I happen to know a bit of the child about 70 years ago, and I told Hank that.
We were in Bukit Temensu, Kuala Pilah before my father was transferred to SITC Tg. Malim in 1950 -1951 or thereabout. We used to stay in the Sekolah Melayu Kuala Pilah's only quarters near town, the one they called Sekolah "A" to differentiate it from the other smaller school near the old hospital, Sekolah "B". Bukit Temensu was my grandparents' house we moved back to before the Tg. Malim transfer. I should be no more than 5 at that time, because I only started school in Tg. Malim.
There was this young school boy, who lived with his parents in the converted garage of the Istana Hinggap ( roughly, "the holiday palace" ) that was on royal grounds of maybe 3 acres next to my grandparents house. His father, Md. Nor used to be the Yang Dipertuan Besar's driver. At that time I don't remember if he still was the driver or not, but he was housed in that Istana Hinggap belonging to the Royal family. It was said that the Yamtuan brought him to London and he drove there, and knew the roads! Years later, I think after we came back from Tg. Malim, I learned that he had moved to his old kampong in Simpang Ampat, Alor Gajah, where he later died. I think the wife was from Juasseh. His uncle, Bador, moved into the vacated quarters. I know Zainal Abidin, Bador's son, who was a Major in the army, and became a golf teaching pro when he retired.
The boy I'm talking about is Salleh.
Every afternoon we could see Salleh looking after a few cows after school, always with a book in his hands. He would herd the animals close to the large drain that run across my grandparents' house, because between the house gates and the then very lightly travelled road was a stretch of grass just nice for the cows. Plus it was not far from his house. My father would remark "look at that boy, always reading even while looking after his cows." It was said in praise, and obviously as an example for me and Padir, my younger brother. We would watch Salleh engrossed in his book in admiration
Salleh went to FMC, PD, and went on to get his PhD and later became the first DG of FRIM. When I enrolled in PD, Salleh had already left.
I met Salleh a few times when I was in Felda. I think this was in the late 70's or early 80's. The first encounter was in the car park. He was leaving, and I greeted him. "I'm Cikgu Yunus' son" was my way of introducing myself. I had recognized him. He seemed to remember Cikgu Yunus. We had a brief exchange. Years later the same thing happened, also at the car park, I think. But Padir met him at a few official functions, and he said Salleh remembered.
Also next to my grandparents house was a large Malay house with a "loteng" (loft), an uncommon feature. The house was traditional and built with "ponak" (hardwood). It belonged to Omar, the petition-writer.
Azizah, Omar's daughter, was the staff-nurse who looked after the Yamtuan Tunku Abdul Rahman in his last years as the first Agong. Ita (Kamal "Yamashita") was Omar's son that I was friends with until his death because of diabetic complications some years ago.
When Omar, and then his wife, passed away, the house was left empty because everyone had moved out. Azizah, Baharuddin and "Unnga" had died. Lokman, Ita, Kakak and the other sisters have long moved out to their own houses in KP, Johore, Seremban and KL.
Ita, who lived in Batu 46, some 3 miles away, would come to the empty family home daily to plant some vegetables. The land the house was on is very large - at least 4-5 acres, stretching from the main road right into Kg. Tebat Kering, where my parents had built their house. When my mother was still alive, I would visit once or twice a month, and seeing Ita's black Morris Minor, would saunter over to chit-chat with him. I always told him that he should replace the thatched roof of the old house with zinc sheets, because the attap was obviously disintegrating. With the roof gone, the house would soon go, too, I warned. His reply was always "there are many beneficiaries, and all must agree first."
Naturally, neglected, the house lost all its roofing, and the walls were now visibly damaged by the weather. Only the quality of the timber put some resistence to the wear.
So who came to the rescue ?
I don't know how he knew. I'm sure he had not returned to Bukit Temensu, because there is no reason for that. I've heard him say that he used to visit his aunty in Juasseh, but that is the opposite direction. But Salleh apparently found out about the house.
Salleh had the whole house dismantled and the valuable timber all hauled to its new site somewhere. I heard Salleh built a new house.
Might as well. In the notes I helped check, I read that Salleh has a new wife.
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