THEY CALLED ME A DOG
"YOU are a dog!"
"Why don’t you fight for us? We are Islam!"
A gang of about a dozen rioters hurled abuse, yelled insults and humiliated Mr B Chua for at least an hour. He was alone.
The year was 1950.
It was the height of the Maria Hertogh case, and Mr Chua was new recruit with the Singapore Police Force, having joined just after his O levels. He was riding his motorbike on his way home when he was stopped by a gang of 12 stick-wielding, angry rioters at the junction of Arab Street and North Bridge Road near Sultan Mosque.
Sultan MosqueThinking that Mr Chua was Malay because of his tanned complexion, the rioters grabbed his tin helmet, threw it into a nearby drain and challenged him to pick it up.
Then in his early 20s, Mr Chua was furious and unafraid.
"But I swallowed my pride because our British officers in charge had warned us again and again not to retaliate if we were verbally abused, because if they attacked us, we would be outnumbered," recalled Mr Chua.
"We were told to keep calm, and not show off."
Police uniform in the old days.Today, the 69-year-old.retiree is an alert, cheerful and animated man who speaks with a passion. He flails his arm about, every time he wants to make a point, and one can see the fiery 20-year-old officer in him.
Click to hear
Mr Chua’s description
of the incidentMr Chua said that during this time, the British officers who were in charge were very diplomatic. They did not believe in violence.
Even when their lives were endangered, police officers could only step back and fire a warning shot, said Mr Chua. They were taught that shooting at the crowd would create more problems.
"Sometimes, all we had for protection was a wicker shield made of rattan," he said.
"I was lucky to escape unhurt that time. They were all crazy at that time.
Maybe because he looked like a Malay, Mr Chua was finally allowed to go. He quickly sped off on his motorbike.
He never did pick up the helmet.
Copyright © 1998 Singapore Press Holdings. All Rights Reserved.
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