Saga of migrant labour
[Books]
By DAPHNE LEE
FOR those of us who have indentured labour migrant ancestors to thank for our present status as citizens of Malaysia, stories recounting the early days of hardship and uncertainty are probably part and parcel of our existence. Many of these stories are the stuff of TV melodramas. In fact, it’s surprising that no one has written a novel based on his family’s history, a Malaysian version of epics like the Forsythe Saga or Evergreen.
Muthammal Palanisamy (pic) has come close though. Shore to Shore is an autobiographical account of her family’s experiences as Indian indentured labourers. It starts with her father setting sail for Malaya, sometime between 1912 and 1913.
She was encouraged to write the book by her brother, who had often listened to her stories of the past. One day, he asked why she didn’t write everything down. Muthammal’s children thought this was a good idea and encouraged her to undertake the task.
“The thought of writing a whole book was overwhelming,” she recalls, “but, with the support of my family, I finally managed to complete Shore to Shore.”
The 71-year-old ex-teacher has four children and 12 grandchildren. She is married to Spence Grant, a Eurasian whose own story is unusual and interesting. Grant speaks fluent Tamil and although half-Indian, he looks totally Caucasian.
In Shore to Shore, Muthammal describes how, because of their appearance, her husband and his sister had to be hidden from Japanese soldiers during the war. Her book is filled with curious details such as this. When you read about the various incidents, you are struck chiefly by how difficult life was for Malaya’s immigrant population.
One episode that stands out is when Muthammal and her siblings are treated to an outing to a temple. The whole family makes the trip in three sampans and the experience includes the writer’s first taste of candyfloss and first visit to a cinema.
Muthammal agrees that life is positively luxurious for her children and grandchildren compared with her own childhood. “We lived through hard times, but we also had a lot of fun. Every treat was savoured and recalled for years. These days, children hardly notice if they have a good time because it happens so frequently.”
She is able to recall the past so vividly because there were few distractions such as television or shopping malls. Life was simple so that even the slightest break in routine stood out and was recalled and discussed so often that it has became forever ingrained in her memory.
Muthammal is now busy compiling the lyrics of Indian folk songs brought to Malaya by immigrant workers. These include wedding and funeral songs and those sung by fisherfolk, rubber tappers and other labourers.
“If I don’t collect them now, it won’t be long before they are forgotten. I think they are an important part of the heritage of Malaysian Indians.” She hopes to find a sponsor to publish the songs.
Shore to Shore is available at Silverfish Books. A Tamil version is in the process of being printed
Source: The Star
By DAPHNE LEE
FOR those of us who have indentured labour migrant ancestors to thank for our present status as citizens of Malaysia, stories recounting the early days of hardship and uncertainty are probably part and parcel of our existence. Many of these stories are the stuff of TV melodramas. In fact, it’s surprising that no one has written a novel based on his family’s history, a Malaysian version of epics like the Forsythe Saga or Evergreen.
Muthammal Palanisamy (pic) has come close though. Shore to Shore is an autobiographical account of her family’s experiences as Indian indentured labourers. It starts with her father setting sail for Malaya, sometime between 1912 and 1913.
She was encouraged to write the book by her brother, who had often listened to her stories of the past. One day, he asked why she didn’t write everything down. Muthammal’s children thought this was a good idea and encouraged her to undertake the task.
“The thought of writing a whole book was overwhelming,” she recalls, “but, with the support of my family, I finally managed to complete Shore to Shore.”
The 71-year-old ex-teacher has four children and 12 grandchildren. She is married to Spence Grant, a Eurasian whose own story is unusual and interesting. Grant speaks fluent Tamil and although half-Indian, he looks totally Caucasian.
In Shore to Shore, Muthammal describes how, because of their appearance, her husband and his sister had to be hidden from Japanese soldiers during the war. Her book is filled with curious details such as this. When you read about the various incidents, you are struck chiefly by how difficult life was for Malaya’s immigrant population.
One episode that stands out is when Muthammal and her siblings are treated to an outing to a temple. The whole family makes the trip in three sampans and the experience includes the writer’s first taste of candyfloss and first visit to a cinema.
Muthammal agrees that life is positively luxurious for her children and grandchildren compared with her own childhood. “We lived through hard times, but we also had a lot of fun. Every treat was savoured and recalled for years. These days, children hardly notice if they have a good time because it happens so frequently.”
She is able to recall the past so vividly because there were few distractions such as television or shopping malls. Life was simple so that even the slightest break in routine stood out and was recalled and discussed so often that it has became forever ingrained in her memory.
Muthammal is now busy compiling the lyrics of Indian folk songs brought to Malaya by immigrant workers. These include wedding and funeral songs and those sung by fisherfolk, rubber tappers and other labourers.
“If I don’t collect them now, it won’t be long before they are forgotten. I think they are an important part of the heritage of Malaysian Indians.” She hopes to find a sponsor to publish the songs.
Shore to Shore is available at Silverfish Books. A Tamil version is in the process of being printed
Source: The Star
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