Part II: Pak Samat

PAK SAMAT: I wish Singapore will only make minor modifications. The structure, building must be retained. You know, there is Habib Noh tomb in Tanjong Pagar. When Singapore took it over, it did not touch the tomb. Singapore even beautified it. Tanjong Pagar should remain as it is. Singapore should maintain it like what it did to the Nonya and Baba House on Orchard Road. Singapore preserves its old buildings. Like Arab Street and the Sultan Palace of Singapore [Istana Kampong Glam]. They turned it into a museum. Maintain it in that manner. Do not do too much modification – turn it into a museum. INTERVIEWER: You worked in Tanjong Pagar from the 1950s to 1990s. In your opinion, what was the biggest change to the station or train? PAK SAMAT: What change? INTERVIEWER: Most major or impressive change to the station or train service? PAK SAMAT: Train service, of course. The set of laws applied during British rule was entirely different. After independence and takeover, the law changed. I could feel discrimination. INTERVIEWER: Prior or after independence? PAK SAMAT: After independence. You would get promoted if you had connections with certain people. The most senior staff did not get promoted but the junior ones did. It was not healthy. Administration, in particular the Engine Department. Train engine. During British rule, we always sourced engines from Britain. We then switched to Japan. It turned --- from bad to worse. You see, Sabah was really commendable. They still operate a steam train. It is really resilient and not easy to break down. It would last forever. Such a train is still in operation in mountainous areas in the US. You can go to the US and see yourself. Why doesn’t Malaysia operate the same train? Even in India, old trains are still in operation. They are very rugged and resilient. Look at our train – it will break down in only few years. INTERVIEWER: During your time, was the steam engine still in use? Pak Samad: When I first started working, the train used a steam engine. INTERVIEWER: When you started working, the steam engine was still in operation? PAK SAMAT: Steam engine, yes. INTERVIEWER: When did they replace everything with modern engines? ’70s? PAK SAMAT: No, no --- after ---19 – I think ’60s. INTERVIEWER: 1960s? PAK SAMAT: ’60s. INTERVIEWER: In the 1960s they replaced them with modern engines, didn’t they? PAK SAMAT: Yes, modern engines. INTERVIEWER: Electric engine, is it? PAK SAMAT: Electric engine, yes. From the UK. The steam engine also originated in the UK. But it was very resilient and rugged. The electric engine is also good but it depends on electricity, doesn’t it? Our engineers are not good at it. When it broke down, we couldn’t change the spare parts as it was expensive. Then we turned to Japanese engines, which are worse. One British engine was worth 3 or 5 Japanese engines. So cheap. But Japanese engines use hydraulic power. It is very problematic as no one was used to hydraulic power. INTERVIEWER: So we have been using electric engines since the 1990s, right? PAK SAMAT: No, no, no. After the ’80s, ’70s they turned to Japanese engines. In the 1980s, they sourced the engines from France. INTERVIEWER: They sourced from France after the ’80s? PAK SAMAT: Yes, France. Now I understand --- it is no longer uniform now. INTERVIEWER: From all parts of the world? PAK SAMAT: Yes. At present --- actually --- I don't know. I notice the engines are very dirty. Very, very bad. It is privatised now, right? Everything was good in the past. People now tend to cut short. INTERVIEWER: Cut short, is it? PAK SAMAT: Cut short, everything must be economical. Cut cost in everything. In the past, when a train arrived, we would immediately enter the loco and wash the engine, just like a car wash. Workers were assigned to wash the engine. Such a thing does not exist anymore. They only sweep it and let it operate for the next service. Very bad. INTERVIEWER: Are there any more memories of your time in Tanjong Pagar Train Station you would like to add or share before we wrap up this interview? PAK SAMAT: Nothing else --- I only want to say --- it was nice to live in Singapore. It was better to live in Singapore. Whenever we wanted to go shopping, we would go to Johor Bahru. It took us only one stop. We always travelled from Singapore to Johor Bahru as everything was cheaper. Goods were much cheaper. During weekends, we would depart in the morning and come back in the afternoon. INTERVIEWER: By train? PAK SAMAT: It was the best memory. In Johor coconut cost only 1 Singapore dollar. In Singapore, 3 ringgit. Singapore dollar. INTERVIEWER: Staff boarded the train free, didn’t they? PAK SAMAT: Not free. We were staff. Staff, we were all free. All departments. There is a sense of give and take when it comes to staff. If you were a train guard, you could easily board the train and nobody would question you. It was very common. Everyone practiced it. What’s wrong with going to Johor Bahru for shopping? We helped one another. Well, it has positive and negative points. Some staff were strict and some not. But mostly they would not bother. INTERVIEWER: So good memories? PAK SAMAT: Good memories, I'm very, very happy in Singapore. However there was lately a grudge against the employers. Terminologies used in Malaysia are differently defined in Singapore. When we are promised a three-room apartment, we should receive three-room apartment. They promised to replace with a 3-room apartment. However, when we came to take over and saw the apartment, it had fewer number of rooms. In Singapore, a hall is considered a room. Is it true? And then, the smallest is one room. I remember there was one hall, one room in I- and L-shape respectively. The I-shaped room was a straight square. We raised complaints but we had no choice and we had to accept it. People were definitely not happy. We didn’t know what to do. Disputing it would not bring any benefit. No way to settle. Even in Singapore they don't have I-shaped, they have L-shaped. Only have L-shape. No I-shaped. Only in Malaysia they have Malaysia I-shaped. So we asked for one room. It was not good. Our quarters were big. All roomed-flats. I had to throw away 3 lorry-full of my belongings. There was simply not enough room for all. Our old quarters were built in old typical colonial style. It had four big rooms, unlike what we had in our flat. I think last year, I went to the quarters but everything was cordoned off now. I even met a drug addict smuggling into the premises. INTERVIEWER: You have definitely contributed a lot of your memories. Thank you Pak Samat.