Kuching, Sarawak

On 1st May 1962, my wife and I, with our two children – daughter nearly two and an eight week old son arrived at Kuching from Penang after a two week long journey by train and cargo Boat Bentong. We were the only passengers! We were to spend the next three years in Kuching before returning to Penang to take charge of the Boys’ Home and Primary School for overaged students!

The Salvation Army, appointed a single lady officer to pioneer the work in Kuching in 1950. She was one of the pioneers of the work in Singapore in 1935. The British Governor of Sarawak, Sir Anthony Abell had requested the Army commence operations in Sarawak.

The then Captain Elsie Willis was appointed begin the work of The Army in Kuching. The Army was provided with a building at Jalan Haji Taha to be used as a Home. Within a short space of time this home was full to capacity and the work of The Salvation Army continued to expand

Lieut. Colonel Fred Harvey the Officer Commanding had made it plain to the Governor, Sir Anthony Abell the mission of the Army. Sir Anthony was aware of this and gave the promise that he would allocate land to the Army to build a Corps (church) The rent is ‘one pepper corn per year!’ It’s just a legal term and I cannot recall taking the one pepper corn to the land office to make payment!

On 17 May 1953 the Corps started their worship service,
meeting in a small rented room above a mechanic’s workshop in Pandungan. Captain Agnes Morgan a New Zealander who had spent a number of years in China and was fluent in Mandarin, took charge on 17 September 1953 as the first Commanding Officer (pastor) of Kuching Corps. Hence it started as a Chinese speaking Corps. A Scout troop, Sunday School and other activities were also formed.

In 1958, Kuching Corps with quarters for officers moved to its current location at Jalan Sekama where larger facilities encouraged new initiatives and programmes.

In the same year (1958) The Salvation Army was requested to take over the running of a Boys Club and Hotel at Song Kheng Hai. The name was changed and The Salvation Army Boys Home moved to its current location at Jalan Ban Hock, where the building and grounds allowed room for rapid growth.

Captain and Mrs. Robert Webb were appointed to take charge of the Home. In 1961 he started a carpentry workshop which had a two-fold purpose – training the boys and thereby giving them a set of practical skills as well as generating income for the home. The sixties was a time of exciting new developments within The Salvation Army.

The superintendent and family lived in the same building with the boys. In 1965 the Government built the quarters with a void deck in the same compound. Later the Army filled the void deck and turned it into an office.
The Webb family moved in only for a short while before they went for homeland furlough in Australia. We were told to take on additional responsibility for the Home in absence of the Webbs. They were supposed to return to Kuching after homeland furlough. However at the last moment the Officer Commanding decided to appoint them to Singapore Children’s Home instead.

We then received word from the Officer Commanding Lieut. Colonel George Spencer that we were to relinquish Kuching Corps and take over the Boys’ Home. We were staying at Home at that time but visited the Corps to do meetings and other activities, in other words holding dual responsibility.

Major K. Vataja was appointed to succeed us the Corps Officer of Kuching Corps. Her assistant was another Finn called Captain Karhar.

My wife and I were appointed Superintendent and Matron respectively to the Kuching Boys’ Home. We started to unpack and when we had completed doing so, we received a telegram – Farewell Orders and appointed to take charge of the Penang Boys’ Home and Primary School.
Meanwhile the Kuching Girls Home had grown beyond all expectations. The Salvation Army was now caring for orphans, children and girls, and elderly women without family support.

In 1959, the home was moved to its present location at Jalan Uplands. One section was for babies, the next for girls and right at the other end for elderly ladies. The Army was catering for people from the “cradle to the grave.” It was the biggest Home in the Command. It catered for about 100 people. We used to conduct meetings at the Home. I conducted the most funerals while stationed in Kuching!

Attached to the Kuching Corps was a Kindergarten. Opening in 1960 the aim was to provide quality education at a price middle and lower income families could afford. The Kindergarten proved to be very popular and there was no shortage of students. It brought in profit to support the Corps.
By the 1970s hundreds of children had passed through the care of The Salvation Army and moved on to be productive and caring members of the community.
 
In 1974 the Girls Home was renamed the Children’s Home in recognition of the wider variety of work that was now being done. During this time The Salvation Army had in its Home a number of children with special needs. These mostly deaf or blind children were integrated into the normal home routines and were encouraged to live as normally as possible overcoming many obstacles and challenges.

We were serving in Kuching during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation, or Konfrontasi, days which lasted from 1963 to 1966. The conflict was an intermittent war waged by Indonesia to oppose the formation and existence of the Federation of Malaysia. It was marked by a breakdown in political, economic and social relations that eventually led to armed incursions, bomb attacks, and acts of subversion.

At one stage it was so bad, our leaders were considering evacuating the reinforcement officers and our family to Singapore. I was to remain alone to manage the three centres. This did not happen thank God. We did live through some dark days when neighbouring countries were not at peace with each other. Let us pray for peace among the nations. Today Singapore and Indonesia enjoy very good relations.

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With God as our Father
Brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
With peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.