Make for the Hills by Robert Thompson

Author:Robert Thompson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Leo Cooper
Published: 1989-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

14. The author with President Ngo dinh Diem, Saigon, 1960 (p. 122)

15. Inspecting the Home Guard at a strategic hamlet, Vietnam (p. 129)

16. The author dining with Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore

17. The author in flight over South Korea

While on the subject of forbidden pleasures, the Tunku, because of his long sojourn in England, taking twelve years to pass his Bar exams, had become rather fond of eggs and bacon for breakfast. On one of his missions to London when staying at the Ritz he was breakfasting in his room with Dr Ismail, one of his ministers who was an intimate and tolerant friend, and ordered eggs and bacon again. No sooner had they arrived than the telephone went and a Malayan who was a much stricter Muslim asked if he could come up. The Tunku could not very well stop him and Ismail went to open the door. When he turned round he was horrified to see that the Tunku had switched the eggs and bacon to his place. With great presence of mind he took out his handkerchief, enveloped the lot and put them in his trouser pocket, ruining his suit to the great amusement of the Tunku.

Most of the Malayans I knew well were easy going on such matters and during Puasa (the fasting month) the Tunku, who kept it strictly, would frequently ask visitors to have a cigarette so that he could sniff the smoke. To most Europeans in government Puasa was a pleasant month because office hours started earlier and went straight through to 2 p.m. We could go home to lunch, with plenty of time for eighteen holes of golf in the afternoon, while our Malay colleagues had to wait for the gun announcing sundown. They then ate more than they did normally. Certainly the rations issued to the Malay Regiment were greatly increased during the fasting month.

To return to the saga of Habibullah, the first problem arose when his wife and family arrived in Penang with Russian visas in their passports. This caused some delay whilst clearance was obtained. The General then fell foul of the Customs in Johore Bahru after shopping in Singapore and claiming privileges only accorded to accredited diplomats. The fun started when it was discovered that he was plotting the immediate complete Malayanization of the Armed Forces with some of the less efficient officers being promoted to senior posts, including an army major to command the Navy. Tun Razak was horrified when he saw the list and took it at once to the Tunku. Everyone agreed that Habibullah must go and the quicker the better, but how? I suggested to the Tunku that India should be asked to recall him for urgent duties, thereby saving everyone’s face. He asked me to draft the letter to Nehru which I declined on the ground that Nehru could not fail to recognize the drafting of a British civil servant. I told the Tunku that it could come only from his heart.

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