24 - Pastoring Penang Corps
We arrived in Penang by train in November 1959. It was my first visit to this beautiful island and my wife’s second for she was there as a cadet for her out-training in 1954. We were welcomed by the officers in charge of the Boys’ Home, Major and Mrs. Roy Page.
Penang Corps Building was The Salvation Army’s first purpose built building at 53 Perak Road. Behind the hall was a small Corps office and band room. Adjacent to it was the garage. At right angle on an elevated level was the quarters which had three bedrooms. We were simply delighted when we walked into the premises. In front of the building was a beautiful lawn. To us it was paradise!
Every Sunday we began the day with Directory class for children. Those attending were mainly boys from the Boys’ Home. Following this we had the Holiness meeting at 10.00 a.m., then Sunday School at 3.00 p.m. which catered for the neighbourhood children. In the evening at 5.00 p.m we had the open air meeting at Dato Keramat Road Padang which usually attracted a large crowd of people. We had the support of the Corps band and folk would march back to the hall. This was followed by the Salvation meeting at 6.00 p.m.
In the congregation were some Australian Salvationists serving at RAAF at Butterworth Camp, but they and their families lived on the island. They gave excellent support, especially Geoff Oakley who was the Corps Sergeant Major. After the meeting they would stay for supper at our quarters. All of them contributed towards the refreshments provided at this fellowship.
We had a small band and Songster Brigade. The Songster Leader was Mrs. Major Page. Neoh Ah How the YPSM was the Songster organist. He is now in his seventies and still active at the Penang Corps.
My wife ran the Guides and Brownies every Saturday afternoon. Among those who joined the Guides was one named Patricia Loo, who later married Tan Thean Seng, now Lieut. Colonels serving in Singapore.
We had two outposts – one at Glugor in the home of the Matthews family, and one at Bayan Lepas in the home of Reuben Michael. I visited these outposts on alternate Saturdays. So every Saturday, I would commute to an Outpost by bicycle. The present Corps Secretary Jacinta, daughter of Reuben Michael was the product of the Bayan Lepas Outpost near the airport.
Every Saturday morning I would cycle to sell the War Cry in the neighbourhood and in the evening would sell the War Cry at the Restaurants along Penang Road. My wife took her turns to sell the War Cry along Penang Road, and she was always accompanied by Corps Cadet Tan Thean Seng. Both rode on bicycles to Penang Road to sell the papers.
The War Cry costing 10 cents each was sold usually by the Corps Cadets. They were given points for selling the papers and participating in meetings and at the end of each session would be given certificates. We had very enthusiastic Corps Cadets.
Major and Mrs. Roy Page were missionaries in China for a term of seven years prior to their appointment to Malaya. Mrs. Major Page in addition to being the matron of the Home was also the principal of the Primary school which catered mainly for overage students, the majority from the Home. I taught Scriptures at this School twice a week. Among the contacts made for the Corps, were two sisters – Ng Lan Ying and Ng Kan Ying. They started at the Corps Sunday School, later joined our Youth Group.
Lan Ying completed her secondary elsewhere then went to UK to be trained as a nurse at St. Giles Hospital at Camberwell. She joined the Camberwell Corps and became a Salvationist there. I was invited by the Corps Officer Lieutenant Ray Kirby to conduct the enrolment when I was at the International College for officers in London in 1963 but it was ‘in-Sunday’ for the delegates and permission was denied for me to leave the College. Thirty two years later in 1995 the Divisional Commander of the Northern Division, Lieut. Colonel Ray Kirby invited me to conduct the Salvationists Rally at Newcastle. We had a great time at this rally.
In the 1980’s we met Lan Ying in Taiwan where she and her husband were running a church. Her children attended our Salvation Army Kindergarten and one morning when she took them to the kindergarten she saw a poster announcing our visit. So we were able to go to her home for a meal and had fellowship together and talked of old times.
She and her family are American citizens and Lan Ying now attends the New York Salvation Army Chinatown Corps. We still keep in contact today. She supports the Penang Children’s Home. Her three daughters are married with their own families living in the States.
Mrs. Page was our Songster Leader. She took turns with Neoh Ah How to play the piano for the meetings. It was quite a luxury for the corps to possess a piano in those days.
Our two older children Gladys and Stephen both of them were born at the Penang Seventh Day Adventist Hospital at Burmah Road in 1960 and 1962 respectively. Doctor Odelhyde delivered both babies and he waved the delivery fees of $50.00. We were pleased with this waiver as there was no maternity grant given to officers. We were given financial help only in cases of sickness and hospitalisation from what was called “Sick and Wounded Fund.” A woman was not considered sick or wounded when she gave birth! Those were the days!
One Sunday night just as we were about the start the meeting, a couple, Bob and Si Lin Preston walked in. When the invitation was given after the sermon both of them walked hand in hand to the Mercy Seat. Later they were enrolled as soldiers. When they got to the platform, she noticed the name of her uncle engraved on the one of the three chairs on the platform. The words were “Dedicated to the glory of God in memory of CSM Lim Seong Cheng.”
Lim Seong Cheng was one of the early day converts. He came from a strong Buddhist family; in fact his father was the chairman of the Buddhist Association. Seong Cheng felt emptiness within him and searched in vain for peace from different religions. One day someone gave him a copy of St. John’s gospel. He read it avidly and found the Lord and later became a salvationist, much to the opposition and anger of his father. He later became the Corps Sergeant Major.
When Penang fell to the Japanese Lim Seong Chen hid Adjutant Harvey’s concertina and uniform. He then fled to the hills for safety as the Japanese were after him. Adjutant Harvey heard that he was seriously ill and rushed there to find Seong Cheng had gone to meet the Lord. In 1945 after the war, the family returned the concertina and uniform to Harvey.
After the war, at the opening of a new hall, Major Harvey discovered that sitting in the gathering was Lim Seong Cheng’s father. Still a staunch Buddhist, he had come to present three platform chairs in memory of his son! The gracious father had forgiven his son.
Bob Preston gave me my first driving lessons using his own car. Later because of his employment the family moved out of Penang and eventually emigrated to Australia.
In 1960 Major and Mrs. Page were appointed to Singapore, he as the Public Relations Secretary and she as the Editor of the War Cry. They were succeeded by Captain and Mrs. William Davies at the Boys’ Home. The captain became the Songster Leader. Both husband and wife gave good support to the Corps.
After two and half exciting years in Penang, we received farewell orders to go to Kuching Corps.
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