Decades later, Kua's memory is still fresh

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KUALA LUMPUR: It was the eve of Malaya's independence, Aug 30, 1957.

Kua Beng Hock sat together with his family in the living room of their home after dinner, just as on any other night.

However, that night was to be special for the Kuas and for other families in the Taiping government quarters in Jalan Padang.

The structure of the wooden quarters allowed Kua to overhear the conversations of his Malay and Indian neighbours.

Kua Beng Hock with a reprint of ‘The Straits Times’ of 31 Aug, 1957.

As Kua tuned the dial of the old Phillips radio, he could hear the anxious voices of his neighbours.

Just like the Kuas, they were waiting for an important announcement by the first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj.

Suddenly, the air was silent and the only thing that could be heard was the Tunku's voice crackling over the old radio. Then, screams of joy echoed in the air as residents celebrated Malaya's independence.

Retired teacher Kua, 69, still remembers that day. August is special for Kua who spends most of his days at home with his wife, Foo Poh Lim.

Joy shows on his face as he goes through reprints of a week of The Straits Times together with his only daughter, Angela Kua Su'Ann and his three grandchildren.

"Every time I look at the reprints, I am reminded of the eve of Merdeka and the parade.

"I was 16 when I went for my first Merdeka parade at the Taiping Esplanade with my schoolmates.

"It was packed with people although there were only several marching bands and performances."

Kua said he had never encountered any racial problems in school or in his neighbourhood while growing up.

"In those days, if you had coffee at a kopitiam, you could see people of various races chatting and laughing together.

"My fondest childhood memory was playing football together at the field in front of my house with friends and neighbours of other races."

Kua bought the reprints of The Straits Times from a vendor during the country's 50th anniversary.

He has the reprints of The Straits Times from Aug 25 to Sept 1, 1957 in his collection. Kua plans to frame them and pass it down to his daughter.