Abdullah Ali and Muhammad Akmal Zikry Bin Muhamad Azrin

Abdullah Ali:

“Dollah, Meng Chee, Tan Chin, and Amandeep - you all will form one team. You will patrol together tomorrow morning. Understand?”, says Commander Winston Choo. “Sir, Yes, Sir!”, replied all the soldiers.

As I lay on a hard, thin mattress of a creaky bed at Bedok Camp, I begin to think about my late mom and dad. If they were alive today, would they be worried about me - about what I am bout to face tomorrow?

Ahmad: “Kau ada dengar cerita tentang pergaduhan samalam? Ada organ yang mati!” (You heard about the fight last night? Someone died!”)

Me: “Pergaduhan? Dimana? Siapa yang mati?” (“Fight? Where? Who died?”)

Ahmad: “ Aku dengar ada beberapa tempat. Kalau tak silap, kampong di Jalay Kayu. Tapi aku tak pasti betul ke tidak.” (“I heard there were a few places. If I am not mistaken, the village at Jalan Kayu. But I am not sure if it is true or not.”)

Rumours began to spread among the 2nd Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (2SIR) soldiers about the tension between the Malays and Chinese. People are angry about the partiality of the Malaysian Armed Forces in dealing with those suspected of involvement in the rioting. The Chinese were caught and severely punished on the spot. These rumours aggravated the tension in Singapore. Empty silence filled up the air.

As an orphan who lost both parents at a tender age of 8 years old, I never underwood parental love. I longed to be in their arms, feel their love, to be cared for, and to have a sense of belonging. I was a quiet child, born in Singapore and placed under the care of my paternal uncle who took great care of me. When I was younger, I never understood why my parents sent me off to Singapore. As I grew older, I finally understood their sacrifices. They wanted me to find a better life in Singapore in terms of education and work. Having no parents means I have a lot of freedom. I started working at the age of 16 years and my first paycheck was SGD$4.10 per day in the 1960s. Life was tough but I had to take care of myself.

From my faint memory while in Malaysia, my parents lived in Pengerang, a well-known fishing village. My dad was a village headman and well-respected leader. My mom was a full-time housewife and they have only 1 child - me.

After gearing up with the issued AR15 rifle, we were ferried to Jalay Kaku in an army truck. The smell of sweaty men filled up the air, unbridled anxiety, and looming fear. What if the rumours we heard are true? There were riots in several parts of Singapore including the place we are heading towards now - Jalan Kayu. Roadblocks and police setup had been installed in areas where disturbances had occurred. The army has been deployed to restore public order and ensure peace and stability in the affected areas. We set a cordon around the affected districts in Singapore’s north. The Police swept through these districts ahead of the military’s arrival.

The four of us walked past the attap houses. We could see blade holes on the zinc and thin wooden walls. Doors and windows were closed shut. We know the villagers were trembling in fear inside these houses. There was an eerie silence as we walked past each house. We looked around high and low for suspicious activities or persons - from the bushes to tall coconut trees. There was nothing.

Me: “Eh, Meng Chee! Looks like blood stains here on the ground - look!”

Meng Chee: “If true, the police must have taken the body earlier already. Do you think the bad guys are still here somewhere?”

Me: “ I don’t think so. I hope not.”

Amandeep: “Keep your eyes on the street, everyone. We need to stay vigilant”.

As we boarded the truck to head back to Bedok Camp 24 hours later, I am thankful we are all safe. Public order has been restored and give the assurance to the villagers that they are safe too.

While the situation is now under control and investigations are underway, there is no excuse for such violent, destructive and criminal behaviour. I hope this incident will never occur in Singapore again.

ALL GREAT CHANGES ARE PRECEDED BY CHAOS

Muhammad Akmal Zikry Bin Muhamad Azrin:

Being a 17-year-old boy, I had just finished sitting for O-level examinations. I took a breather from playing games and switched on the television.

Almost immediately, the breaking news that flashed on the screen caught my eyes. I could not believe what I had read. A riot has broken out in Little India! I suddenly recalled what my grandfather, Mr. Dollah, had shared with me about the riot at Jalan Kayu. I secretly wished that there were no casualties from the riot at Little India.

I spent the next few hours watching the news updates. I quickly realised that the riot started because of a traffic accident that involved a private bus and a foreign worker, who passed away at the scene. Upon arrival of the Police and SCDF ambulance, the 100-people crowd quickly swelled to 400. I stared in disbelief when I saw several Police cars and SCDF vehicles being overturned and set on fire! Obviously, this could not be happening here in Singapore!

For the next few days, I followed the updates on the Little India riot. Several Police Officers, Auxiliary Police Officers, and SCDF Officers sustained injuries and lacerations during the riot. The driver of the private bus and his timekeeper were also injured. Thankfully, no lives were lost due to the riot.

Unlike in the past, information was hard to come by and many had to stay home and wait for the radio broadcast to inform and update them on the situation. Now, there are many news websites with reliable and trustworthy information. Even though a number of fake news stories circulated about the riot, I learnt that social unrest can still happen, even in modern-day Singapore.

I guess it is up to the younger generations to continue being tolerant towards other races and live harmoniously so that similar incidents can be avoided. I am grateful to my grandfather, who took the time to share his own side of stories during the pre-independence days. Because of my grandfather’s stories, I hope that the peace that my grandfather and his generation have worked so hard for in Singapore can be preserved for many more years to come…