Sir Edward Gent congratulating Sher Mohamed (left) with a firm handshake in 1948. Photos: Rafique Sher Mohamed
Milestones are significant markers in one's life. For my late father, Sher Mohamed Allah Baksh, a new chapter began when he was promoted to the rank of inspector in 1946 and could proudly wear his police peak cap.
His journey to this position started over a decade earlier, in 1934, when he applied for the position with great enthusiasm and anticipation. He did not realise that it would be a journey fraught with setbacks and that it would take him more than a decade to finally earn the coveted inspector's rank that he so badly desired.
Changing entry requirements and bureaucratic hurdles dashed my father's dreams and expectations of attaining a respectable rank in the police force. Frustrated and disheartened, he considered withdrawing his application. His friends, however, managed to persuade him to reconsider because times were hard with limited job opportunities.
He reluctantly enlisted as a recruit, beginning a journey that would test his true mettle. Time passed, and Sher steadily rose through the ranks. Just when he was being targeted for the inspector's promotion in late 1941, the Japanese Imperial Army invaded the country. Destiny once again dealt a heavy blow to his aspirations. It was only after the war that he was finally sent for inspector training.
The great time lapse in his promotion, due to unfortunate circumstances and events, must have cost my father dearly in the form of advancement prospects and other missed opportunities in his remaining career in the police force. His spirit may have been dampened, but not his drive and ambition. His resilient personality remained steadfast and made him stronger and more determined to excel in his work. Soon he would establish himself as a police officer who would carry out his duties with unflinching courage, integrity, loyalty, and devotion to duty.
Sher Mohamed Allah Baksh in his younger days.
This clearly became evident when, upon completion of his training, he was immediately posted to Kampar, a tin mining town in Perak, where crime and bandit activity were rampant. This post-war period was not going to be a walk in the park. The war might have been over, but the situation in Kampar was going to test him to his limits, moving him from the frying pan into the fire.
It was this chapter of my father's life that inspired me to embark on a mission to immortalise his story in the form of a graphic novel. My aim was to capture the essence of his journey and bring to life the vision I had, further to the script I had written. I had hoped that, in this way, it would attract an executive producer who, with a good director, could grasp the story and turn it into an inspiring action film.
I was also driven by a passion to share this police narrative with fellow Malaysians. The task was formidable because much research had to be undertaken. No stone was left unturned to provide as many facts as possible about the details of my father's life in Kampar after the war.
Great pains were taken in providing the captivating, colourful and vibrant illustrations of Kampar in the post-war period. The illustrations vividly depict Kampar's environment during those hard times, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the realistic portrayal of this historic town.
Kampar has a rich history, including its tin mining heritage, the Battle of Kampar, and the turbulent emergency years. It is my hope that my father's legendary chronicles as a police officer in post-war Kampar, as depicted in my graphic novel, will preserve his legacy and ensure his contributions are remembered in the annals of Kampar's stories.
Indeed, in the post-Merdeka years, Kampar folks remembered their hero of yesteryear whenever he visited my grandparents, who lived in Anson Settlement. Neighbours brought their chickens to present to their Kampar hero. The shopkeepers never failed to recognise him and were delighted to meet him and shake his hand. The restaurant owners where he stopped for drinks refused to accept payment, out of gratitude for his services to their town.
My father served in Kampar from 1946 to 1951, first as an Inspector and later as Assistant Superintendent of Police. Kampar folks always considered him to be one of their sons, even after he was transferred to Ipoh, Tapah, and elsewhere because of the reputation he had established in their town.
Kismet - Inspired by a True Story is available on Shopee and in selected bookshops: Kinokuniya (KLCC), Riwayat, and Gerakbudaya.
