EPISODE 028: MELAWAT UNITED KINGDOM

ZIARAH NEGARA

GRANDMA ELIZ 

SI PENJAJAH

When I was in Primary School,we learnt the subject 'Tawarikh' (History)- later known as 'Sejarah'. In this subject, we were exposed by the authors of the history books in Malaysia (all western trained) that British was the people who brought in development to Malaya.  All the British officers served in Malaya were heroes.  Eventhough Pulau Pinang was already there for hundreds years under the sovereignty of Kedah Sultanate, Francis Light was said as the founder  of Penang in 1786.  In Perak JWW Birch and Hugh Low were the heroes, similarly Frank Swettenham in Selangor and Hugh Clifford in Pahang. 

Datuk Maharaja Lela and Datuk Sagor in Perak, Raja Mahadi in Selangor, Datuk Bahaman, Tok Gajah and Mat Kilau in Pahang, and Tok Janggut Mat Hassan in Kelantan were branded as a traitors (penderhaka) or pemberontak (rebellions). Not only rebelled to the British administrators but also to their Sultans. Those are examples of HOW the British manipulated the history of our country.

The name of 'United Kingdom or Great Britain' is very significant to the Malaysian.  Why? Known as United Kingdom (UK) or sometimes called as Great Britain (GB)  was our 'penjajah' nation from 1824 until our independence in 1957. With the area of 243,610 sq meter and 62 million population, UK consists of four constituent countries; England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  The capital of GB is London.

The 'status of countries' in GB is relatively unique. Each countries has it own political status. its own government or Executive.  GB is a unitary state under a constitutional monarchy.  Presently, Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952) is the Head of State (and also Head of State for other 14 Commonwealth countries namely; Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Barbados, Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & Grenadines, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

My puzzle is, why in the Olympic Games, GB is represented only by one single 'Great Britain' but in FIFA World Cup, why all the states in GB (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales) have their own football team?.

When I was in primary and secondary school, 'England' was something that related to highest achievement in the education.  Going to university was not the ultimate target but going to ENGLAND was a great achievement.  That's why, most of our 'senior' government official (1960s till 1980s) were UK graduates.  HOWEVER,  it was never in my mind to go to England for my studies. I did not know why.

After joining the RMAF, I was also made known that most of our officers (especially Engineering officers) were trained in UK (at this time we did not called it England but UK).  For Supply (Logistics) officers, most of them were Australian trained.  So, as other Logistics Officers, I had in my mind that one day I would have the opportunity to go to UK.

BUT after my 15th year in the RMAF (1996), I still keep on waiting for my overseas course or trip. No nomination, neither UK nor Australia. My first trip to oversea was to Indonesia in 1991 for LO duites for Elang MALINDO Exercise in Medan.  Second trip was to India in 1997 (for PDI in Chandrigargh) and third trip was to Rome, Italy in 1998 also for PDI. NOT a COURSE.

My first opportunity to fly to UK was only happened in year 2000.

First Trip To UK (2000) 

First time my foot stepped onto the land of our colonist (Great Britain) was 8 Oct 2000. That year, I was working in Treasury looking after the aviation contracts and procurement. So, I was representing the Treasury for the Project Review Meeting (PRM) for RMN Superlynx helicopter with Westland Helicopter Ltd at Yeovill, Somerset, UK. The team was led by Datuk Hj Ahmad Pharmy (then Deputy S-G (Development) of MINDEF), the other team members were Laksma Dato Radzi (then RMN Chief of Engineer), and Kept Ayop (then RMN Dir of Project Management).

Masa di Yeovil, kami menginap di sebuah bungalow lama milik Westland Helicopter yang lokasinya juga agak terpencil di kawasan ladang dan dijadikan sebagai VVIP guest house. Oleh kerana kami tiba di situ hari dah malam, maka suasana sungguh menyeramkan. Kebetulan 'housekeeper' nya adalah seorang wanita tua- maka otak aku terus teringat cerita-cerita seram di television.  Aku dimaklumkan bahawa minggu lepas tetamu bungalow tersebut ialah Raja Jordan yang datang melawat Westland Helicopter Ltd.

Malam itu, kami diraikan oleh tuan rumah (Westland) di mansion tersebut.  Majlis singkat sahaja kerana mereka memahami yang kami keletihan- kerana baru sampai.

Aku merasa begitu asing dengan keadaan ini dan amat sukar untuk melelapkan mata- suasana senyap sunyi- setiap bunyi 'keletik' menimbulkan rasa seram. Dah lah tu, masa tu bulan Oktober, dah dekat 'winter' - cuaca sejuk - agaknya itulah timbul simpulan bahasa 'seram sejuk' . Macam juga pengantin di malam pertama - walaupun ia sekian lama dinantikan, ia tetap 'seram sejuk'. Alhamdulillah, sehingga ke pagi, tiada apa-apa gangguan dan aku dapat tidur dengan aman, walaupun tidak puas.

 

 

Taklimat dalam cockpit pesawat (helikopter) EH101.

 

Briefing and meeting at Westland and visiting (later flying) the cockpit EH101.

 

Pagi itu- aku menikmati udara bersih di sekitar bungalow itu dengan Kept Ayup TLDM - ini gambar aku di hadapan bungalow  yang menyeramkan itu.

The next day we visited the RMN Helicopter Project Team office in Yeovil.  We were accepted and entertained by the project team members. The briefing on the progress of the project is given by the team leader, Kdr Khairuddin Khalid TLDM.

In this trip I got the opportunity to know closer with the Project Team members led by Cdr Khairudin Khalid (Head of PT - now Lakda Dato'), Cdr Adib Samad (navy pilot - now Laksda Dato'), LtCdr Aziz (Armament Engineering Officer) and LtCdr Fadzil (Supply Officer).

After the briefing and conducting the progress review meeting, we were invited to fly with new helicopter (Westland product), EH101.  The flying tour took about half an hour.

That night Kdr Khairuddin hosted the dinner at his house.

The following day was the shooping day.  We were brought to Bristol shopping outlet.  This outlet is famous with its Clark shoes product.

Two days only to settle down the official duty, the rest of the week were staying at Chamberlain Hotel in London. One of the most prestige hotel in London located near to the 'shopping heaven' of London- namely Oxford Street. As my first time visit, I did not know much about places in London. In the first day, I just follow Kept Ayup alking round the hotel area especially along Oxford Road. Excited!. Grandmother's (Q Elizabeth) land.

Kept Ayup checked out from the hotel one day earlier because he and Laksma Dato Radzi got to perform another duty in Germany (related to NGPV).   So, in my last day in London, I took the oportunity to move around on my own.  I contacted Mej Zahari TUDM (our ADA in MALAWAKIL) and he invited me to come over to his house at Brent Cross .  I took a tube to that place.  I had my lunch at Zahari's house.

2nd Trip (2002)   

My second opportunity to step into the London Heathrow Terminal was in 2002 - not for official duty - just stop one night on my way back to Malaysia after performing official duty at Milan, Italy (PDI for Agusta 109E aircraft).  The other group members were form Fire and Rescue Department and JBPM Air Unit, PPjB Hamdan, Lt Kol Shabre (now Brig Jen Dato'), Mej Khairuddin and one of JBPM technical officer).

We were staying at Holiday Inn (a hotel owned by Malaysian).  Not much story in this trip - most of our time spent at Oxford Street. In London, we were entertained by Elkany, the son of AIROD's President, Tan Sri Ahmad Johan.  He owned Fabel (UK) Ltd a subsidiary company to AIROD.

   

  

Oxford Street

3rd Trip (2003)

This third trip (in 2003) was also unofficial visit.  On the way back to Malaysia after completed my official duty (Acceptance Check for Global Express 9096 at Bombardier Inc, Toronto, Canada  - on the way back from Toronto, Canada (PRM Global Express).

My group consisted of Brig Jen Dato Abu Bakar Md Said TUDM, Lt Kol Mohd Noor Rani, Mej Dzulkarnain and Mej Zahari.  Most of our time was also spent at Oxford Street, London.

 

Holiday Villa London

4th Trip (2007) 

My forth trip to London appeared in June 2007- two consecutive overseas duty.  This was also my longest overseas trip.  First I went to Irkutsk, Russia for the PDI for ILS equipment for SU30MKM aircraft from 22 Jun till  30 June 2007. Upon the accomplishment of my duty in Russia I was tasked to perform another task in UK.  It was a site visit to Rolls-Royce facilities in Ansty, followed by visit to contractorisation of Adour engine (Hawk) at RAF Marham and finally visited Rolls-Royce facilities at Bristol. This was the longest  - visit Rolls-Royce facilities at Ansty and Bristol.

I and Lt Kol Razip Abd Samad TUDM were together for PDI in Russia.  Both of us were task to join Brig Jen Dato Ibrahim Bahari TUDM who flew direct from KL to London.  He came down with another 2 Malaysian, Raja Zulkifli and Shafie Mahat (retired Lt Kol TUDM)- the local representatives for Rolls-Royce in Malaysia.

  

 

In the Eye of London

Pemergianku ke UK untuk keli ke 4 mengundang aku kepada satu peristiwa yang sukar untuk dilupakan.  Semasa singgah di Moscow, aku membeli pelbagai cenderamata (souvenir) kecil seperti key-chains, lighter dan juga pisau lipat.Ini kerana rekabentuknya unik dan tak boleh di dapati di tempat lain.  Dalam penerbangan dari Moscow ke London, aku simpan dalam main luggage.  Tapi semasa di London, barangan bertambah,beg jadi padat, jadi aku adjust balik isian beg aku.  Aku keluarkan semua souvernir yang kecil dalam beg sandang aku.  Tapi semua pisau lipat aku simpan dalam beg besar.

Semasa membuat check-in di Heathrow, aku telah ditahan oleh pihak lapangan terbang kerana terdapat baranga larangan dalam beg sandang aku yang melalui mesin pengesan (scan).  Aku lupa bahawa ada lighter yang mengandungi pisau lipat.  Aku ingat dia akan rampas barang itu, abis cerita. Tapi,  aku di tahan ditahan untuk siasatan lanjut oleh pihak polis.  Menggelatar kepala lutut aku. Mana taknya, kalau silap haribulan, lewat siasatan,boleh tertinggal flight.

Hampir sejam baru pihak polis datang (hari minggu).  Setelah disoalsiasat dan diambil statement, aku diberi nasihat dan amaran dan dilepaskan untuk berlepas. Ngam-ngam sahaja, masa untuk boarding ada lagi kurang setengah jam.  Satu pengalaman pahit yang menjadi pelajaran sepanjang hayat.

Terima kasih tidak terhingga kepada Mej Muzammir Ong (ADA di London pada masa itu) kerana menemani aku sepanjang siasatan.  Kehadiran beliau banyak membantu untuk memberi keyakinan (jaminan) kepada pihak polis.

5th Trip (2008) 

Lawatan kelima ke London adalah untuk melaksanakan tugas rasmi membuat PDI  Viper engine di Ansty pada bulan Disember 2008. Kumpulan PDI mengandungi Lt Kol Thien Pian Khong (No 15 Skn) dan Mej Lua Pei Ting (MLU).

 

 

visit to Rolls-Royce facilties at Ansty.

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visit Madame Tussauds, London.

visit Buckingham Palace.

6th Trip (2009) 

My sixth trip to London was in March 2009 attending Provisioning Review Meeting for Adour Engine at Rolls-Royce Ltd, Bristol.  The RMAF delegation was led by Dato Ackbal and the other members were Lt Kol Rafdzi, Mej Gopalan and Mej Izani.

7th Trip (2009) - Lytham 

Perjalananku untuk kali ke 7 ke United Kingdom adalah juga untuk urusan rasmi.  Kali ini untuk menghadiri Mesyuarat Joint-Provisioning Review untuk alat ganti Hawk dengan syarikat BAe System Ltd di Lytham, utara England.  Lytham terletak berhampiran dengan bandar preston dan Blackpool yang menempatkan premis industri BAe.  Jaraknya adalah 314km dari kota Metropolitan London.

Kami menaiki pesawat MAS dari KLIA ke London dengan business class.  Kali ini perjalanan dibiayai oleh BAe System.  Kali ini pihak BAe tidak membenarkan penukaran ke tiket kelas ekonomi dan lebih malang lagi,  anggota rombongan juga tidak diperuntukan dengan apa-apa wang poket - walau satu sen pun.  Pihak BAe menanggung semua perbelanjaan penerbangan, sajian dan tempat tinggal semasa di UK sahaja. Delegasi MLU diketuai oleh KSS, Kol Md Zaki Md Zain TUDM dan selain dari aku, ahli delegasi ialah Lt Kol Ahmad Rafdzi Abd Rashid TUDM (PS1 SISGP A) dan Mej Ghazali bin Abdullah TUDM (PS2 KAS).

Kami bertolak dari KLIA pada xx Jun 2009 dan kami mendarat di Heathrow dan meneruskan perjalanan ke Lytham melalui jalan darat.  Di Lytham (sebuah pekan kecil) kami tinggal di Clifton Arms Hotel yang mengadap ke kuala sungai.  Pekan ini akan menjadi sunyi selepas jam 5 petang- hanya restoran sahaja yang masih dibuka. Tiada tempat yang menarik untuk diziarahi.  Selain keluar untuk makan- sepanjang 2 hari di sana, kami hanya bersiar-siar jalan kaki berhampiran hotel, makan buah anggur di tepi sungai sahaja.  Ini gambar berlatar belakangkan 'old flour mills' di tepi sungai berhampiran hotel kami.

Clifton Arms Hotel, Lytham

Peristiwa makan di Lytham yang hampir menjahanamkan perut kami ialah apabila kami memesan salad sebagai pembukaaan.  Dalam kelam-kelam lampu restoran kami nampak kandungan seperti ikan tuna dalam salad itu.  Kurang yakin dengan itu, kami pun panggil waiter dan bertanya.  Rupa-rupanya ia adalah bacon (daging babi). Nyarissssss.

Loghat Inggeris di daerah ini lebih pekat berbanding dengan standard English atau percakapan di London.  Bila bermesyuarat dengan mereka, kena dengar betul-betul untuk memahaminya.  Bagi Kol Zaki, dia tiada masalah dengan tempat ini kerana beliau pernah duduk di sini selama hampir 4 tahun - sebagai anggota dalam Project Team untuk pembelian pesawat Hawk  dalam tahun 1992-95.

Dalam perjalanan balik ke London kami singgah melawat Warwick Castle berhampiran dengan Warwick City.  (Warwick bunyinya 'worick').

  

Warwick Castle adalah sebuah kota dan istana Raja Inggeris lama yang kini dijadikan sebagai museum antik.  Sungguh besar dan menarik - mempamirkan bilik-bilik dalam istana, alat persenjataan, patung-patung ahli keluarga Raja/Ratu England.

Kami juga singgah membeli belah di shopping outlet yang terkenal di England -Bicester Village.  Di situ beli baju jenama 'pink' hanya berharga GBP45 sahaja sepasang. Dimaklumkan, harga sepasang di KL adalah antara RM400-800.

  
   

Setibanya di London malam itu, kami menginap di Hotel Raddison Edwardian.

Keesokan harinya kami mempunyai agenda yang ketat.  Walaupun bukan satu tugas rasmi, kami mengambil peluang lawatan ke London untuk melawat premis syarikat yang mempunyai kontrak dengan TUDM yang terletak di sekitar London  iaitu Kearsley Airways Ltd di Stansted, Vector Aerospace di Croydon dan Martin Bakers Ltd di Higher Denham, Uxbridge Middlesex.

Bersama kami ketika melawat Kearsley Airways ialah Mej (B) Ismail Hashim - pemilik 'local agent' Kearsley di Malaysia yang kebetulan berada di sana untuk menguruskan pengajian anaknya.

di hadapan premis Kearsley Airways

Vector Aerospace di Croydon

Baki sehari di London kami mengambil peluang untuk bersiar-siar, menaiki cruise menyusur Sg Thames dan menonton Theatre bertajuk 'WICKED'.  Tapi aku bukan minat sangat theatre ini- walaupun orang kata seronok tapi separuh masa di dalam theatre itu aku tidur.

   

 

menaiki feri cruise menyusur sungai Thames- sungguh indah

 

8th Trip (2010)

My 8th trip to London was part of my journey to Moscow - attending Logistic Support Meeting delegate (about 15 members - see my trip to Moscow 2010) and again on the way back from Moscow via Zurich (attending PC7 Provisioning Review Meeting).

The journey started on 27th June from KLIA to Stanstead Airport (by Air Asia Airlines)  -stop overnite at London - and the next day continue fly to Moscow.  On the 30th June part of the meeting delegate left Moscow for another meeting in Stans, Switzerland (see my story about my visit to Switzerland).  On the 3rd of July this group left for London and joined the main group (they flew direct from Moscow to London on 2nd July). 

Dato' Ackbal,  me, Lt Kol Rafdzi, Lt Kol Gopalan,  Lt Kol Yazid (KBK 17 Skn), Mej Idrus (17 Sqn), Mej Shafiq, Mej Adli (Gp A), Mej Fuad (Gp A) dan Mej Lua (Gp A) and another 5 personnel from ATSC. No official to undergo in London - just waiting for our back home flight on 5th July 2011 - via Stanstead Airport.

Since this was my 8th trip to London - I did not waste to spend my pocket money for shopping.  Nothing special anymore in London for me except to replace the old T-shirt and find some key chains for my staff.

This time - I really value my cash money - I need a lot of money for my daughter's wedding on 25th September, less than 3 months to the date.