Gemas, Negri Sembilan

Gemas railway station was built in 1922 and is the railway junction that connects the west coast/main line (Padang Besar - Singapore) with the east coast line (Tumpat - Gemas).

In the early 60's (1960-1962), we lived at 109 Railway Quarters, Gemas, up a hill served by 2 flights of stairs of about 300 steps each. I remember going to school (the Tuanku Abdul Rahman) with my siblings, trudging up and down the hill and crossing the railway bridge as well. We donned 'coolie' straw hats in the hot sun to get educated. Only when our father Ba had a day off (which was not often) did we enjoy a ride to school in his shiny black Morris Minor, plate number PA7078.

I have fond memories of my childhood in Gemas. A shop near the railway station was a source for my collection of Schoolgirl comics. The end of year prizes for class achievement were beautiful pop up books that I treasured. The school sports, talentime and concerts were most enjoyable; I remember singing Linda Scott's Every little Star at one talentime and emerging champion (ha ha)! But I also remember not winning at the state level later (sob sob).

Me and my Talentime trophy (1961)

With the 2nd (Kamal H) and 3rd (CY) place winners (1961)

In sports I qualified to be in the school relay (4x100m) team, both for the primary and secondary. As for lessons, I enjoyed the subject General Knowledge the most, and we could identify all the flags and rattle off all the capitals of all countries in the world. Hence the interest in travel?

Primary/Std 3, Tuanku Abdul Rahman School, Gemas (1960)

Then there were boys! It was co-ed, and at that age it was a like/hate relationship with the opposite sex. There was Barun KG, Dennis X, Kamal H, Martin, James, and others whose names I can no longer recall. Overall the boys were mostly nice, but sometimes they teased a lot, and as partners during sports day dances, some were 'mean'; they pinched the girls' hands that they had to hold!

A Concert at TARS. I am standing leftmost, CY rightmost. (1961)

I was quite the tomboy still, in those days (despite the boys!). I quarreled with anyone who said anything mean or derogatory to my friends or family, I climbed the tallest jambu (guava) and wild cherry trees to get at the fruits (my fellow climbers being Mazidah M and her siblings) and even grappled with a dog to save my sister CY from being bitten by this savage beast (though CY remembers the incident differently, I think I was a hero then!)

Primary/Std 4, Tuanku Abdul Rahman School, Gemas (1961)

On the family front, I remember Ba having to go to work at the unearthly hour of 2 or 3 am. A railway messenger (I guess) usually comes by to ensure he does not miss his train! But then Ba was a very disciplined man and never missed a train in his life, for work or otherwise. He was never off sick either. The only time he did not work was during the railway strike. My mother meantime had my brother AW, the only one to be born in Negri Sembilan. One sibling, ZA fell off a swing when I was supposed to be babysitting him (oops, sorry ZA, also for 'threatening' to throw you out the window in Teluk Kumbar)! I was one lousy babysitter.

The Gemas railway community then, also enjoyed weekend movies on a large screen at the padang (field). As we gravitated towards this padang, I recall the signature Hindi song that beckons... Barekenade... but I cannot remember any of the movies I saw then. I wonder why?

A significant event in my young life in Gemas was a trip to Singapore in 1962 by train, of course. Ba took my siblings SP, MN, CY and me there for a short weekend holiday. I think we stayed at a (Chinese) hotel in a busy part of the city because I recall being up late listening to the vehicles going by. My brother MN remembers it as the Asia Hotel. We went to see the aquarium, and to Arab Street where Ba bought blue, black and silver sandals for CY and me. We also visited the Tiger Balm Gardens/Haw Par Villa, the famous tourist attraction then. In June this year I revisited Singapore by train in memory of Ba and the very first family trip from Gemas.

1960-62