Whenever I see flag poles erected in front of buildings, it reminds me of my childhood days in Kota Baru, Kelantan, during the 1970s when my family rented a double-storey shophouse on Jalan Hamzah.
We ran a family business selling eggs and agricultural produce on the ground floor while living on the upper floor.
During the Merdeka season, the local authorities required all retailers in town, especially those facing the main road, to display the national and state flags. For a shophouse, the most effective way to display the flags was by extending a bamboo pole with the flag affixed out of the bedroom window on the upper floor.
For several weeks leading up to Merdeka Day, my siblings and I were responsible for carrying out the task of putting up the flags. First, we had to source two 10 to 15ft (3 to 4.5m) lengths of bamboo pole. Then we had to smoothen the surface with sandpaper. Once that was done, we played “lai lai li tamplong” to determine who would retrieve the flags from storage and who would affix them to the poles.
My eldest brother was always in charge of extending the flag poles out of the window. On the inside, the other ends of the poles were tied to a stool. Its position was further reinforced by tucking one end under a big bed. From time to time, my dad would check the formations to ensure they were sturdy enough to withstand the weight of the poles, before giving us the go-ahead.
This illustration was drawn by the writer using tools in his Samsung Notes, Samsung S22 mobile phone.
During a school assembly, the headmaster complimented us on our flag-raising skills. He highlighted that we were among the first few families to raise the flags around the area in August. The headmaster’s house was a short distance away from our shophouse, and I believe he caught sight of us in action while driving back from school in the afternoon.
Throughout the Merdeka month, we slept and woke up with both the national and state flags as our companions. The sound of the bamboo poles swaying in the wind was like a soothing lullaby at night. On rainy nights, the sound of raindrops hitting the windowpane and the swaying poles, along with the singing toads, formed an orchestra of nature.
In retrospect, these unique experiences form a major part of my Merdeka vibes.
