William Tang Tieng Kee, Esq....
Half a Century of Career in the Sarawak Civil Service

By 10th June 2002 William Tang Tieng Kee would have completed half a century of his career in the Sarawak Civil Service, and, as he said, “…if I were to be born again and given a choice what I would like to do, I would choose the same career that I have enjoyed so much in this life.”

In retrospect, he recalled a lot of happiness which occasionally was laced with some disappointments. “I have failed in some undertakings but I have succeeded in many projects. The sum total of happiness and success far outweighs the unpleasant moments.”

Joining the Service
William Tang first joined the labour market at the end of 1951 immediately after sitting for his Junior Cambridge Examinations. “I was doing quite well in the private sector but somehow the lure of the Civil Service made me leave that job to join the Sarawak Administrative Service.”

He was successful in his application and was instructed to report to the Resident, Sibu. “I reported to him on 10th June 1952 and was instructed to commence work straightaway as a temporary clerk while waiting for the in-service training to commence in Kuching in October 1952. Together with three other colleagues, Joseph Chua, Enjop Jarraw and the late Wan Ali Tuanku Ibrahim, we left Sibu on 23rd September 1952 for Kuching by M.V. Meluan. This boat was usually slow, doing at most about 5 knots. We were given deck passage but a kind officer of the boat up-graded us to a big room on the upper deck. We arrived in Kuching the next day.”

Simanggang
A year passed very quickly and they completed their in-service training in September 1953. “We were each given our posting order. I was posted to Simanggang. At that time I had no inkling where this place was but I was told that it would take about 2 days to reach there. Upon enquiring further, I discovered that I had to choose a suitable time to leave in order to be able to arrive in Simanggang during day light hours.”

Taking part in Iban ceremony

There were about three boats plying between Kuching and Simanggang and very often they would also want to arrive during the day. “I waited 4 days to board the boat, a wooden boat but with better speed than M.V. Meluan. Luckily, passengers were given simple meals on board.” They had to spend a night at Lingga to wait for suitable tide to proceed up-stream. “It was here that I had my first experience of witnessing a tidal bore (benak). It was quite scary for a first timer. There were to be a series of ‘firsts’ in my early career waiting to surprise me.”

In Simanggang, Mr. Tang was met on arrival by the driver of the District Office with a Land Rover. He brought him to his quarters. It was about 4 o’clock on a Sunday afternoon. This quarters together with a number of other similar buildings were constructed with their fronts facing the jungle, their kitchens or the backs facing the road. “I was quite intrigue by the sight but after facing the jungle at night for a few days, one would get so lonesome and that was when homesickness would set in. I was quite miserable at times.”

Saratok
Just as he was about to settle in, William received instructions that he would be transferred to Saratok. “I was told that a Government launch was scheduled to leave Simanggang for Saratok in early December and I should take it. I also found out that the other passengers of that journey were the Superintendent of Lands and Surveys, a Polish man and the officer-in-charge of PWD, Simanggang, the late Mr. Edmond Voon. I came to know Mr. Voon while in Simanggang because he used to teach me how to play badminton. He was a very good player himself,” recalled Mr. Tang.

On arrival in Saratok, he was quite shocked to see the condition of the town. It had a raised earth road and there was a row of wooden shophouses on stilt on each side of the road. Each block of shop houses was connected to the road by a few plank walks. There were a couple of coffee shops and only one single food shop occupying what used to be a Police pondok.

Quarters
In Saratok, Mr. Tang was allocated a quarters normally reserved for the Native Officers. It was slightly larger than ordinary class IV quarters. This quarters was quite old and built on the top of a hillock. On one side was a disused cemetery, with a few tombstones jutting out but barely visible. “The sight really scared me off and I decided not to occupy it but to share with another officer from the Co-operative Department by the name of Alexander Nanang in his semi-detached quarters. Unfortunately, at that time he was away on travelling duty to the rural areas and would only be back two days later. Fortunately, the boat that took me to Saratok would only leave in 3 days time. Thus, for the first two nights in Saratok I stayed on board keeping the late Mr. Edmond Voon company.”

Meeting future wife
While in Saratok, Edmond Voon took the trouble to introduce him to his very close friend who was the Chief Clerk and who happened to have some daughters and he eventually ended up marrying one of them. Thanks to Edmond Voon! The month of December is the middle of the landas season and normally one would expect more rainy days. Landas in Saratok at that time would really be quite unpleasant. The road would be muddy and one had to stay indoors most of the time. There was no electricity. “We had to depend on pressure lamps or ordinary kerosene lamps. The quarters at that time did not have mosquito proofing and we had to use mosquito nets. The life was so different from what I used to enjoy in Sibu.”

With RASCOM component heads

Advise from a very good friend
There were many occasions during the first few weeks in Simanggang that he thought of quitting the Service to return to Sibu. “Had it not been for the encouragement given me by my very good friend and mentor, Dato Sri Peter Tinggom, I believe I might have left the Service. At that time, Peter was the SAO in charge of Roban, a distance of about 3 hours walking. He came to know about my misery and came to visit me just before the Christmas holidays in 1953.”

“Peter had the knack to befriend a person and make him feel much welcome. It was really he who was responsible to initiate me into the Iban culture, which was a great help to me in passing the SAO examinations. During the Christmas holidays he took me to visit a longhouse not very far from Saratok town. It was there that I first witnessed the Iban traditional welcome accorded to government officers and it was also there that I was surprised to find I could converse easily with the longhouse folks in English. Most of them were educated and many of them received their education in Kuching.”

It was in this longhouse that Peter Tinggom introduced William to the longhouse folks by using the term ‘Konsil China’. At the time, local administrative service was only open to native officials known as Native Officers. Many of these officers were Malay officers and presumably many of them came from the ‘Abang’ family. Thus, in the old days, when among the Iban and the Chinese, the Native Officers were commonly addressed as ‘Abang’. The Iban Native Officers were normally addressed as ‘Konsil’. “I believe it was after 1950 that the Sarawak Administrative Service was created and Chinese officers were also recruited.”

Staying in the Service
William Tang continued, “…when I changed my mind and decided to stay in the Civil Service, I began to seriously improve myself.” After about 7 months in Saratok and with the help of various officers, William offered to sit for the SAO lower standard examinations. “I was quite surprised that I managed to obtain a good passing grade for my native languages and the customary laws. Although I studied my Malay language, I found it more difficult to master than the Iban language. Thus, in the examinations what I did was to translate Malay into English and from English into Iban. I believe the examiners must have thought that this guy knew a little of both the Malay and Iban whereas in actual fact I was weak in my Malay language!”

Primary schools
While with the Kalaka Mixed Local Authority (now Saratok District Council), William concentrated his efforts in setting up Primary schools. The local longhouse folks were very encouraging as they whole-heartedly supported the local authority’s proposals on primary education. All of them agreed to put up simple school buildings with basic furniture made from sawn logs on gotong royong basis. The building would have earth floor. The walls were of bamboo strips and covered with atap roof.

Within 1 year, about 20 new primary schools were established. This success was largely due to the combined efforts of the School Affairs Officer, the late Mr. Philip Bedus and some Councillors as well as the encouragement given by the Divisional Education Officer, 2nd Division. When the State held the first local government conference in 1956, “…I was invited to present a paper on primary education in Kalaka District,” enthused William. “Workwise, I had full satisfaction in my 3 years stint in Saratok. I also became a fairly good cook.”

While attending the Conference, he was told by the Secretary for Local Government that he would soon be transferred out from Saratok and that the Government would not allow him to be the Secretary of the Kalaka Mixed Local Authority. “I tried to wrangle a transfer to Sibu or Binatang (Bintangor) and this was also turned down. A month or so later, the Resident, 2nd Division Division paid a visit to Saratok and at the official reception, he directed me to pack my barangs and to follow him back to Simanggang the next morning.”

More transfers
“That was how I was transferred back to Simanggang. Whilst there, my main duty was to help form the District Council for Batang Lupar, Lubok Antu and Saribas. In consultation with the respective DOs, I had to help draw up their Constitution Order. This Order would, among other matters, specify the number of Councillors the Council should have and would also include a provision that for the purpose of election, the Council’s area would be divided into electoral divisions made by the Resident. Once a District Council had been constituted, I was directed to help its Secretary and officials to run the Council.”

After a year of doing this advisory work, William was again transferred and this time to Engkilili, not very far from Simanggang. He recalled, “…here, I was back to perform the normal SAO’s functions and sitting as magistrate both in Engkilili and Lubok Antu. After about a year in Engkilili, I was awarded an in-service training to study for the Diploma in Social and Public Administration in South Devon Technical College in Torquay, England. This was a one-year course. I left in August 1958 for the United Kingdom.”

In the UK
“It was a very intensive course but the subjects offered and the lectures given by the lecturers had a bias towards local government system based on UK practice. During the course we were given the opportunity to compare the various types of local government systems. We also compared democracy with other form of government, including communism. The course had broadened my outlook in public administration, especially the local government administration based on the UK practice.”

At the end of the course he was attached to Leeds City Council in the north of England for a month to observe and learn its system. “I returned to Sarawak in September 1959, after spending more than 3 weeks on board a ship from Southampton to Singapore. The sea journey itself was an experience and I must say that I was very grateful for the then government to permit me to come back by sea. When the Crown Agents sent me the ticket, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a first class passage!”

Inspecting road project in Kanowit

Sarikei
Upon his return from the UK, he was transferred to Sarikei. Recalled William, “It was a peaceful town and in addition to the usual administrative duties, I had to sit as magistrate in the Police Court (2nd Class Magistrate’s Court). The year following that saw great changes in the District. It was the time when Malaysia was first mooted and without my knowing it, there existed a group of anti-Malaysia supporters who were more inclined towards an underground movement. Many of them were my friends. When the proposal to form Malaysia was conceptualised, I was directed by the Sarikei DO to explain the concept to the Chinese community in and around Sarikei.”

William reported the matter to the DO. After receiving his report and weighing the situation, the DO agreed to cease having this meet-the- people sessions. “I only discovered that some of these friends actually belonged to the underground subversive organisation when I took the board of visitors to visit the detention centre at mile 7 Kuching/Serian Road. At that time I was the PAS in the Federal Secretary’s Office and one of my duties was to take the board of visitors to visit the detention centre every month. In each block of the centre I would meet one or two of my friends. I would exchange greeting with them and talk to them also.”

Serian
From Sarikei William was transferred to Serian in the first quarter of 1962. This was during the confrontation period. He was appointed the Secretary of the Upper Sadong District Council, now known as the Serian District Council. “When Tebedu was attacked by the Indonesian, I was directed to proceed there the very next day to survey and ascertain the actual situation and submit a report. I managed to hitch a ride with the British Green Beret. The road condition was appalling. We managed to reach the town after four hours of rough ride.”

On arrival, he proceeded straightaway to interview the shopkeepers, the kapitan China who was also a Councillor, local Police officer in charge of the station, some kampong folks who happened to be in the town. “That night the town was deserted but with the permission of the shopkeeper, also my friend, I put up the night in his shop. He and all other town folks left to take shelter in the nearby longhouses.”

Kuching
Immediately after ‘Malaysia day’ in 1963, William was transferred to Kuching. While in Kuching, he served in various capacities, namely
(a) Principal Assistant Secretary (PAS) in the State Financial Secretary’s Office;
(b) PAS in the Ministry of Communications and Works;
(c) PAS in the State Development Office;
(d) PAS in the Federal Secretary’s Office;
(e) PAS in the Ministry of Local Government, Youth and Culture;
(f) Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government;
(g) Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works.

Canada
In 1968, he was selected to attend a summer course for three months at the Carlton University in Ottawa, Canada. This was a public administration course. In 1969 he had the privilege to lead a group of 4 Councillors to visit various types of local authorities in the UK for a month. “We travelled by a van from Inverness in Scotland to Lands End, the very southern tip of England. It was a very beneficial visit for the Councillors. To me, it was like a refresher course to experience the actual working of the various local authorities that I learnt when attending the Torquay Diploma Course.”

Sibu Resident
In September 1978 he was transferred to be the Resident, Sibu. This was quite a change, especially after a break of 15 years in Kuching. “In Sibu, I began to polish my Foochow, Malay and Iban languages. After a year as the Resident, I was directed to take over the duties of the Chief Executive Officer of the Rajang Security Command (RASCOM). A week after my assuming the duties as CEO, RASCOM I received an envelope sent through the Post Office. It contained a progress report by the underground Communist organisation to all its comrades on the achievement of the organisation. This was the first and last communication that I received as a ‘comrade’ from the CCO.”

RASCOM
“The work of CEO, RASCOM was challenging, as I had to deal with the three components, i.e. the Civilian, Military and the Police that made up the command. There were numerous field trips to the forward areas, and the long houses. Depending on the security situation, I often had to lead our team to conduct civic assemblies or meet-the-people sessions. We established three resettlement schemes and I had to visit them regularly to meet the settlers.”

RASCOM was a unique organisation. William explained, “in retrospect, I would say that it had been very successful in dealing with the underground subversive elements. Its success was well known to many foreign nations as each year we had visits from the foreign military or police officers to our Headquarters as well as our forward locations and the resettlement schemes. RASCOM also enjoyed full support from members of the public although many of them might have been occasionally inconvenienced by our operations.”

Back to Kuching

Addressing Civic Assembly

After 5 years in Sibu, William was transferred back to Kuching in 1984 to take over the post of Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government. He retired on 16th March 1987 in that capacity. “After spending my accumulated leave, I was re-engaged as the Secretary of the Kuching Municipal Council and in that capacity I served for slightly over two years. Upon leaving KMC, I was offered the post of Administrative Officer, Special Duty in the Ministry of Environment and Public Health on monthly terms until today.”

Back in the Ministry, he helped to compile a book in commemoration of the ’50 Years Golden Jubilee of Mixed Multi-Racial Local Authorities in Sarawak (1948 –1998).’

Looking back, William was glad that in most of the stations he was posted, he had managed to leave an imprint that he can recall with some pride, especially the following:

(a) in Saratok, promotion of primary education among the rural people;
(b) in Simanggang, formation of District Councils for the Districts;
(c) in Sarikei, helping to propagate the concept of Malaysia;
(d) in Serian, contribute a little towards restoration of normalcy in Tebedu;
(e) In Sibu, helping to eliminate the threats of CCO.

“I have always enjoyed whatever capacity I was in, except the first few months of my outstation life in 1953 and that is why I say at the beginning that given a chance, I would choose the same career again. That most probably account for the fact that I have continuously served in various capacities in the State Civil Service for half a century.”