THE MEMOIRS OF MUSTAPHA HUSSAIN - Malaysia Today

90 Memoirs of Mustapha Hussain
with pretty finger-like leaves. Out of curiosity, I walked towards the bund.
Suddenly, one of the brothers ran after me, explaining that they had
planted these plants, cannabis (ganja), as an experiment.
Since I was able to quickly identify the unworthy flower specimen
they had brought into my office, the Reids thought I recognised the
cannabis plants. According to an enactment planting cannabis was forbidden,
and they knew it. They also knew that offenders could be fined
$500. I thought to myself: was the cannabis for personal use or for
medicinal purposes? Dr Reid was a medical doctor. Cannabis was also
easily available, especially in Penang, where Sikhs openly smoked them
using hookahs. There was no point in my reporting the matter. But I told
them, “You must destroy these plants,” and they nodded their heads.
I was invited into the house, where I told them the real reason for
my visit. As they talked between themselves, I noticed racks and racks
of books, including the many volumes of Redley’s Flora. Jamil was right,
they merely wanted to test our knowledge when they came to ask us to
identify the specimen they brought. After much discussion, they agreed
to let me have some of their tuba samples. “It is late now. Why don’t we
bring them over to your office tomorrow?” they suggested. I agreed to
the arrangement but Ariffin was certain it would not happen. At exactly
9.00 am the next day, lo and behold, the two brothers arrived with tuba
samples in brown envelopes. Ariffin was surprised. After that, he grew
even more confident of my ability.
I often visited the Reids to borrow their books, which were mainly
political, especially about Irish political struggles. If I remember rightly,
there was one about Sir Roger Casement, an Irishman who was bestowed
much honour by the British. But when it came to the choice of England
versus his motherland, his patriotism shone through. He betrayed the
British by making contacts with German ships during World War I. After
a long trial, he was sentenced. I don’t remember whether it was to life
imprisonment or death.
The Reids carried their anti-English sentiments to distant Malaya, to
the Englishmen running the country. We often discussed politics, and I
was especially touched by their heart-rending stories of poor Irish peasants.
The people of Tapah were amazed to see the two brothers’ affection
for me. They wondered what my secret was. Patriotism and politics were
our only but nonetheless strong bond.
The Depression Years (1929-33)
I arrived in Tapah as an AA in 1931 during the Depression, when the
price of primary commodities, such as rubber, tin, copra and timber, were