Chapter 5 The Ragging Fire Further Fueled

This was a larger plantation (5000 acres) all fully planted with rubber but extremely hilly.It was by any means a beautiful place,with plenty of highlands and fast flowing streams.Situated adjacent was a new village called Sungai Penjuring New Village,eight miles from town, whose residences were mainly Chinese.

Ken did not go there immediately for he first went back to his home town Telok Anson.
Well had to inform his family for one but most important was to steal a glance at the first and foremost love.He did not waste time and stayed only for the night.He meet his friends Moorthy (was to become also a planter in the future after Ken) and Yusof but no one else not even his previous gang.

That was the most positive step to take for he did want to run foul with the law.Any mistake will definitely destroy any future that was installed for him.He realized that making the best in life was very much up to him,and his every move makes the difference.


Next day he traveled by taxi to Kuala Lumpur putting up a night in an average Hotel before continuing his journey.He was fresh and did know how to get to Bentong,so he passed a night in Kuala Lumpur.Later he found out that he was another two hours away only.Before planning the trip he was advised to arrive at Bentong in the morning so that the Manager would pick him up.

Those days the K.L./Bentong road was narrow and winding.Poor Ken being not used to traveling on such winding roads vomited almost all the way.On arrival he had to wash himself and refresh first before dialing for the Manager informing of his arrival.The Manager did not come immediately as he was in the fields.

Two hour later the Manager reached the bus station.They had lunch together before going to the plantation.Ken was given place to stay at the second floor where the ground floor was the plantation's office.It was quite nice and cooling,in front of the wooden structures was the main road to Raub.In actual fact it was situated at the entrance of the plantation.

There were two rooms and a huge sitting hall upstairs and Ken choose the front room because it had many windows,definitely very airy.Bathing was a bath room.Water apparently drawn from the stream.That was the water they consumed daily and the color of it varies with the change in weather for example during rainy days the water is milky.So no need to add milk when making tea or coffee .The running stream was immediately behind the house.That was part of a planter's life,leave or take it-no other choice.

Ken soon settled down and was placed in charged of the second Division slightly more that 2500 acres all fully mature accept for a small area of immature rubber.The labor force was 70% Indians and 30% Chinese,all of the tappers with a few weeders.

All went smoothly for Ken and he all out to perform but that was unfortunately not good enough.The Boss visiting the plantation almost every month refused to increased all remunerations of staffs despite the good performances.Ken thus further fueled the anger and grudges against such a ruthless employer.

The Manager on the other hand could not lift a finger to help for that matter was beyond his control but he did well to encourage Ken to work harder by giving him a new motor cycle.Well.at least he could traveled around in style and smoothly,in the Company's account.That was great.

Then after a year or so came the bad news for Ken for his brother brought news that the girl he wanted to win had married.That news devastated Ken.His heart was shattered into shrews what can he do.He shivered with fear in shame and in astonishment--he wanted to kill himself.
Thinking how could this happened to him --Ken.

That was what he thought he would do but never brave enough,he was a coward.
It takes a very brave man to do that.That news stunned him for some time before he finally took it like a man and put up a brave front.In any case that he going straight had failed him tremendously he thought it wiser to live life as delivered to him.

His out look changed,he begin to date girls,for a young man his age that should not be a problem.He not only started to have girl friends he had dozen of them.Life following was in deed beautiful,something he missed while believing he could win her back previously.By fooling around with girls could not possibly land him into the long arms of the law.

He had a pleasant time with many but the stigma adhering in him previously kept pondering and disturbing his thoughts.For each flirting moment as he romanced with someone new the name and face of the first love kept coming afresh in his mind.He was at a lost,what shall he do?

Each time that happened he was forced to abandon the new acquaintance,as such he acquired the playboy tagged.That obviously was no good but was it his fault?.Yes and no.Jilting a girl was never fun,it hurts him just as much.A kiss then good bye was nothing new to him.The memories embedded in him kept haunting him.It was also here where he met his future wife and as usual love and left her in a lurch,what a cheating heart, was he?

His position in the plantation was never at stake.He was sent to the Outward Bound to attend a course and had passed two subjects offered by Incorporated Society of Planters.With these and his experience he secured a position in Kumpulan GoodTree Sdn Bhd., a European Company.

So after six years or so he succeeded in joining a bigger company.He was thrilled with joy imagining that he was on course for a better future.
On leaving his Manager gave him an excellent testimony, very important letter which in due course would carry him through out his planting career further in the near future.

In July 1966 he was placed in charged of a second Division in Sengkang Estate 2,some ten miles from Port Dickson.It was almost two thousand acres.A beautiful bungalow was allotted to him where the water was from a well.The well was never maintained so the water had a thin film of rust on the water surface.How do you like that?.

Before he could cleaned it,let alone settled down, he was asked to be transferred to another division namely Sungai Raya Division.This division was smaller with many acres of young mature rubber.Here he had a newer bungalow and better water supply.Hardly stayed there for two months he was requested to shift houses,surrendering his bungalow to the Training Manager.

Thus he had to share bungalow with another Assistant in the main Division.There he was given a baby's room,said to be more convenient for his movement because the baby room had its own bath room and entrance.Now how did he fare,he was supposed to share house with another and was treated thus.But he kept his cool.

The manager's bungalow was on the top of the hill,a stone throw away.Ken had to share food with the other man,that was to cut down expanses but he had a woman servant who apparently behaved like a "bomoh" or witch.She showed outwardly that she despised Ken as if Ken was stealing her lover,,amusing or not she had to be paid by him,too.

As a man Ken just took it with a shrugged.His Division was quite a distant away and every morning he had to go there by motor cycle,an old Trump.Ken was punctual at his office always before 6.00 a.m.He had only a senior conductor under him.

The manager visited the Division on almost three occasions and each time he asked Ken several questions,being new to their systems some questions were well answered but some he did not know.He hardly knew Ken.Things apparently went on smoothly but Ken had an accident where the old ramshackle,the estate motor cycle he was using, caught fire on its own.

The Manager was not impressed by the way he explained to him and he accused Ken of being negligent with the old motor cycle.Ken was afraid when he spoke to the White Manager and in fear spoke haltingly which further drove the Manager to the walls,shouting all sot of abuses.Later he toned down telling Ken to have it repaired at the workshop.

In that plantation he had a good friend in another Assistant,one Mr Peter Liew,it was he who offered to borrow him his motor cycle to use in the fields after his accident,how thoughtful of him.Not only that he also supplied Ken lunch and dinner for a month or so,and never collect any money for them or was it the foolishness of Ken that did refund him the cost of those meals?.Anyway,Ken was thankful for his hospitality.Ken owed him a favor indeed.

Then there was a supplying of a vacant space in the field where Ken was instructed to supply in a budded stump.Early next morning he instructed the Conductor to sent a worker to attend to it.Little did he know the Conductor just ordered a worker to plant that supply without seeing it done himself.The Manager was there to find that stump poorly planted and went crazy.Ken arrived at that spot slightly later as he had to attend to some other work earlier.When he tried to explain to the Manager who refused to listen.How unreasonable.Of course Ken was held responsible.

Then the manager went on two months leave.His position was taken over by the Senior Assistant,another Chinese.Before the Manager went on leave the plantation contractor threw him a lavish dinner.All the assistants including were also invited to join in.After dinner there was night clubbing at Seremban town,many dance hostesses sat with all of them.The contractor spent a lot of money that night.Wah,Ken thought he must be making a lot of money from the plantation.

This being a way of life in the corporate world,Ken knew this was dishonesty and he did not want to be a party to it.He knew very well that if he were the Manager he would not accept such an invitation.It purely was corruption at it worst and now having attended that dinner made him and all others accomplices.

When the Manager came back from leave he requested Ken to plant a leguminous cover plant which had huge tubers.Immediately Ken happily followed closely to instructions and propagated many of the Triloba cuttings.Surprisingly non of the cuttings survived and the Manager on seeing that,got absolutely wild that almost immediately issued a letter to Ken.

That saddened Ken because he was to be transferred to the Training Centre for a year.It was a demotion indeed.That really hurt Ken's ego,not that he never tried to achieve what was instructed.Nevertheless a mistake was a mistake although he adhered closely to instructions and the Manager's word was the order of the day he had to accept.With no where to go he accepted as to per instruction.

He erred but was never given a reprieved.Despite of his qualifications he was rejected.
The Manager acted beyond his jurisdictions,he should have terminated Ken's service with the Company or if he had a forgiving soul given Ken an extended probation failing which he can sacked him without further notification.Instead he demoted him,putting him in down to earth humiliations,absolutely very inhuman of a man his calibre.

The Manager was extremely bias and prejudice of him because he was recruited by another Senior Manager above him and Ken later knew there was enmity between the two with the former wanting to prove that what the other recruited was rubbish and that he was better than him.

Secondly Ken having been to Chinese owned plantation ,there he was bias and prejudice to Chinese trained planters.Ken's slow to catch what he was talking because of his slang and inability to answer some question posed by the Manager were standing proves against him.Not knowing some grasses names were a s minor issue and can easily learned certainly not as serious as to devour those grasses.

Thirdly his failures to supervise the supplying of a budded stump and to multiply Triloba cuttings led him down tremendously what a shamble.He followed or mistook the instruction that was all,no big deal.Everyone makes mistake and for a new man must be penalized heavily.

Fourthly the other Assistants especially the Acting Manager was never supportive of him.It was every man for himself.Ken relationship with the others was questionable.Some of then his "poker" mates.

Inability to express him self in English properly at that time was another setback.Being new to the Company there were many things Ken had to know.To brush up his way of expression was one important factor and the way he dressed played another major role.

The Manager had erred badly because he hardly knew Ken.First he was transferred about the first two months and had not settled down properly before he had to change houses etc.,thirdly the Manager went on leave for a month or so.Therefore his grading of Ken was outrageous,but this Manger thought he was the Master and can do what he liked and as he pleased.Well for that there is a God who had seen all his faults,he will pay for such foolishness,someday.If God do not not punished him "I will" said Ken.

There was no doubt that Ken erred but was not given the opportunity to prove himself.He hastily washed his hands off Ken without giving him at least a second chance.Furious as he was Ken remained cool, kept these within his soul.

By right the man to be demoted should be the manager for he was definitely corrupted in accepting the dinner and good time given by the contractor.Ken should have reported this to the Head Office which he did not.He being new the people above might not accept his report so he let it be.

Ken also missed the train ,because at that time little did he realized his childhood friend was Chairman of Good Tree.It was in later years that he learned of this from his brother.Yes,his childhood was Ahmad K.That was his nickname.Life therefore was funny,it makes fun of your life.That was his fortune in life.