The Adventures of Young James Brooke (Part 2)

I recently ordered (from an antique books store in Australia) a book that included the letters of Rajah James Brooke to his lady friend Miss (later Baroness) Angela Burdett-Coutts. It chronicles the most interesting relationship between Rajah Brooke with this lady, who actually gave significant sums of her own money in support of Rajah Brooke's cause in Sarawak. One would think we should have at least a road in Kuching named after her.

This book will obviously take pride of place in my Sarawak history book collection. In this posting, let me share some photos with you ...

Note the book sitting on my traditional native tablecloth

A close up of the book spine

Title pages of the book

One of the Contents pages

Part of the Introduction chapter

A part of the history e never learnt in school ... which explains much about

why Rajah James Brooke never got married

Hope you enjoyed reading about this little piece of our Sarawak history ...

Election Fever in Thailand

This is certainly a year of elections ...  I was in Bangkok for work this past week and witnessed political campaigning in full swing on the streets of the capital city. The Thais go to the polls on Sunday 3rd July 2011, and I think it'll be another exciting one to watch. We've all heard about the shenanigans of the red shirts and the yellow shirts, the huge protests in the heart of Bangkok, as well as the forced closures of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport. One wonders what will happen after the election results are known this time.

The two key parties are the Democratic party, led by Abhisit Vejjajiva, the sitting Prime Minister, who some ladies think is handsome, and the Pheu Thai party, led by Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who some guys think is hot (I'm referring to Yingluck, not Thaksin!)

Anyway, here's a sample of the posters I saw on the streets.

Pheu Thai party's poster with Yingluck Shinawatra on the right

Democratic party, with Abhisit Vejjajiva on the right

 Can't remember the name of this smaller party ... will check later

Sometimes it is quite easy to spot which politician some people don't like ...

Horny politicians take on a different meaning here

This is your Political Jaga, signing off from the streets of Bangkok ...

Actually not really, I'm back home as of last evening :-)

Anthony Tiong (Class of 76) Writes ...

Here's a note from a former 76 brother, now living Down Under ...

Dear brothers of class 76,

I know I won't even know more than half of you but that is not the point. It is about the class of '76 ex-Josephians getting together for the mother of all reunions. What can I say to people like James Yong, Benjamin Wong, Robert Chin, Mark Chin and many others to name a few for organising the reunion.  I guess only somebody trained from St Joseph could come up with such a feat.

First, I have to thank Sky Sim Kuan Yang, none other than another class of '76 who is also another resident of Canberra for ringing me up excitely yesterday (7 June 2011 4:50pm) about finding James's blog. What a timing and coincidence - 7/6/ '76. Is there anything significant there?  I have yet to go through the whole blog and already I am finding heaps of treasures one of which is all your email addresses.  I also realise that some of us have decided to leave us early and to them, I shall say, we will meet again in the second life.

Yes, we were not there but it is never never too late to turn up for the roll call, so "Greetings from Canberra, Australia - Class '76)!"

Please feel free to drop me a line and if I could response in enough short tome, please accept my apology.

Best regards,

Anthony Tiong

Form 5 Arts 1 - '76

Canberra, Australia

anthony.tiong@bigpond.com

Asian Milestone in Tennis History

June 4th 2011. Roland Garros stadium, France.

More words are not needed ...

"Remembering Anthony" Expo at Pustaka Negeri

This interesting item came out in Borneo Post yesterday.

Any of you guys and gals who are interested in Sarawak history, especially the Brooke era, should try to visit this Expo about the last Raja Muda of Sarawak, Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke when it opens .

Anthony Brooke passed away on 2nd March 2011 at the age of 98. Click HERE for more details in one of my previous postings.

The Expo opens on 8th June and continues till the end of the month. I for one will try my best to be there.

Added on 9th June 2011

This came out in the Borneo Post today (thanks Leo!). I still don't know if any of our brothers attended ....

A historic occasion

section 1 of 3 of clipping

section 2 of 3

section 3 of 3

From "The Sarawak Tribune" (9 June 2011)

In Memory of Anthony Brooke

by Elmer Yeo

KUCHING: The passing of Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke, who was the Raja Muda (heir apparent to the throne of the White Rajah) before Sarawak was ceded to the British, marked another important chapter in the history of Sarawak.

Brooke, who was 98 years old when he passed away in New Zealand on 2 March, 2011 is survived by his wife Gita Keiller, son James Bertram Lionel Brooke and a daughter Celia Margaret Brooke.

An exhibition in his memory, highlighting his ties and links with Sarawak, is being held at the State Library in Petra Jaya here 8 to 30 June.

The Chairman of the State Library Board of Management, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Hamid Bugo, officiated at the launching of the exhibition by James Bertram Lionel Brooke, yesterday.

In his short speech, James Brooke described his father as a man of integrity and strong will.

He said he regretted not having the opportunity to get close with his father who was a travelling man and was constantly away.

He said the family had to leave Sarawak hastily in 1941 due to the impending Japanese conquest of South-East Asia, and their return to the UK where they were relocated at Liverpool.

James also spoke briefly about the decision of the Third Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke to cede Sarawak to the British government in 1946 in return for a pension, thus ending the rule of the White Rajah.

Meanwhile, the small but informative exhibition showcases Anthony Brooke’s life from his early years to the period when he was appointed the Raja Muda, and his opposition to the cessation of Sarawak to the British.

Anthony’ Brooke’s anti-cessation campaign ended in 1951 when the spread of communism became a greater threat to the stability of Sarawak.

When the anti-cessation movement came to an end, Anthony Brooke devoted his time to promote peace, unity and the protection of the environment and the indigenous people.

He divorced his first wife, Kathleen Hudden in 1965 and remarried in 1982.He and his second wife Gita Keiller visited Sarawak in 1983 to participate in the 20th anniversary celebration of the formation of Malaysia.

Anthony Brooke’s month-long stay in Sarawak (from 18 Aug to 18 Sept) in 1983 gave him the opportunity to meet with old friends, former co-workers and government officials, being invited as guest of honour at numerous functions and excursions to other parts Sarawak.

In his later years, he settled down at Wanganui in the north island of New Zealand, and to keep alive the fond memories of Sarawak, he even had a special memorabilia room called the Sarawak Room’ in his house.

The exhibition reveals that Anthony Brooke, towards the end of his life, forgave family members “who had conspired to deprive him of his singular inheritance”.

Besides the pictorials and written stories, there was also a small collection of government documents that were related to the anti-cessation period.

Al so present at the ceremony were the State Library’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Japri Bujang Masli and Anthony Brooke’s grandson, Jason Brooke.

“By the act of your ancestors and mine, and by the accident of birth, I was born to be your servant – a relationship formally recognised by the British Government in its treaties with Sarawak and my family.

That relationship was impugned but not changed by my uncle’s cessation of Sarawak, and its annexation by the British Government.

In good or ill, so long as you wish to maintain that relationship, I shall continue with gratitude, affection and pride to regard myself as your servant” – Anthony Walter Dayrell Brooke.

(end)

Selamat Hari Gawai 2011

Wishing my Dayak friends and all who celebrate this festival

SELAMAT HARI GAWAI !

And to others, have a good holiday!

James Brooke in the News

Here's an article in yesterday's New Straits Times on the Italian perspective of James Brooke.

As it may be difficult to read from the photo, here's the full text ...

Brooke was seen as a tyrant

KUCHING: To the Italians, Sarawak is beautiful, mysterious and romantic with colonial tyrants hunting down pirates.

And to them, "Sandokan The Pirate" is the hero, while the tyrannical colonial master is Sarawak's first white Rajah, James Brooke.

These were the impressions they grew up with of Sarawak based on Italian action adventure writer Emilio Salgari's famous Sandokan series, Le Tigri De Mompracem or The Tiger of Malaysia.

In that book, Salgari depicted Sandokan, a Bornean prince turned pirate, waging war against Brooke.
 

"To us Italians, we know that these books are fiction. But little did we know that James Brooke did exist and was the first white Rajah in Sarawak," said Italian writer Valerio Zecchini in an interview.

Zecchini, who first came to Sarawak seven years ago, had the same mindset until he saw the place for himself.

"Only after being here did I realise that our perception of Brooke was wrong.

"He was never a colonial tyrant, but a brilliant adventurer who made Sarawak his own private kingdom by working with the locals.

"Sarawak was never like any western colony where the locals were treated differently by the masters, like in India.

"The story of Sarawak is very much unique as it was never colonised like we thought."

Italian historians are studying the link between Sarawak and Italy during the Brooke era.

One of the first links between the two governments was documented by Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari, who met the first Brooke during his stint at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in London.

It led to him spending several months in Sarawak and he saw the way Brooke ruled the kingdom.

"Based on studies by historians, Salgari never set foot in Sarawak but, he may have met Charles Brooke's wife, (Margaret Alice Lili de Windt) during her stay in Genova," said Zecchini.

In 1847, a Commission of Inquiry was set up in London over an alleged massacre of 800 Ibans during James Brooke's fight against piracy and headhunting.

"During that time, London offered a reward for every pirate's head.

"So with the sudden rise in claims for rewards at the time, the government then became suspicious of him.

"It was the main news in Europe then, and this may have been the reason behind Salgari's depiction of Brooke in his book."

With more interest in Italy on Brooke's life, an Italian film crew will do a documentary in the state in October on the real story behind Brooke's rule then and the development of the state after that era.

Additional Notes

Here is a cover of the book mentioned.


The New Sraits Times website is as www.nst.com.my .