Unveiling Ceremony of Captain Francis Light Memorial at Fort Cornwallis 3Oct1939 ~ Shaik Ahmad Clan

Unveiling Ceremony of Captain Francis Light Memorial at Fort Cornwallis 3Oct1939

Captain Francis Light landed in Penang on 17 July 1786
Captain Francis Light took illegal possession of Penang on 11 August 1786
King George III of Britain
British East India Company
58 souls in Penang in 1786

Sir Shenton Thomas, Governor
Captain Mohamed Noor bin Shaik Ahmad, MBE
Dato' Hj Mohd Noor b. Mohamed, DSPN, JSM, DJN, PJK, ED, JP
Dr Ong Huck Chye
Bengal marines and lascars
Unveiling of Captain Francis Light memorial at Fort Cronwallis by Sir Shenton Thomas on 3 October 1939

SIR SHENTON CONDEMNS RUMOUR-MONGERS
"Profiteers In Men's Souls"
The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 4 October 1939, Page 4

A strong condemnation of rumour-mongers, whom he described as profiteers in men's souls, was uttered by the Governor, Sir Shenton Thomas, in the course of a speech when he performed the unveiling ceremony at Fort Cornwallis yesterday of the memorial erected to Capt. Francis Light, founder of Penang.*

*It should be noted that most Penang people do not believe that Captain Francis Light 'founded Penang' as there were Minangkabau Malays who settled at Kg Batu Uban and the clan founder, Hj Muhammad Saleh built Masjid Batu Uban in 1734 AD. This was before Captain Francis Light landed in Penang and took Penang illegally for the British East India Company.

The stock-in-trade of the rumour-monger, the Governor said, was alarm and despondency, which he sold at the highest price of all, the price of happiness.

Emphasizing that the best way to maintain public confidence in the present emergency was to tell the people the truth. Sir Shenton said: "There has never been since the outbreak of the the war a single moment when it has seemed that the peace of Malaya might be disturbed. If such moment should come you will be told, fully and frankly. I believe that the best way to maintain pubic confidence is to tell people the truth.

Several thousands gathered at Fort Cornwallis to witness the ceremony performed by the Governor. Sir Shenton arrived at 5.30 p.m. and was gievn a royal salute by a guard of honour composed of Indian soldiers and the local Volunteers. Following the inspection of the guard of honour by the Governor, Mr A. M. Goodman, the British Resident, thanked His Excellency for consenting to unveil the memorial.

Opening his speech Sir Shenton said: "We are here today to pay tribute to one of the pioneers of Empire. Captain Francis Light, who landed here 153 years ago, on the 17th. of July, 1786, and three weeks later, on the 11th. of August, formally took possession of this island in the name of His Majesty King George III. Thus Penang became a British Colony and ever since, the soil of the island has been British soil and the flag that has been hoisted each day has been the British Flag.

"It has been said that if Light had not taken the first step by the founding of Penang, British Malaya would never have existed. It may be so. Certain it is that, when he landed here, there were no British colonies or trading posts in the Straits of Malacca. Penang island, as Light himself said, was 'a vast jungle with a population of only 58 souls.'

FREEDOM AND JUSTICE

"At the time of his death, no more than eight years after his first landing, the island had become a prosperous settlement of 20,000 people of British, Malay, Indian, Chinese and other races.

"Light, as a builder of Empire, had vision, courage, and determination, and these are precisely the qualities that are being so severely tried today. We are paying tribute to him at a time when the freedom of this island is being threatened, when defeat will mean that the British Flag will disappear and the people of Penang will live in fear, not daring even to talk freely to their friends. I know that I speak for all of you when I say that there shall be no defeat, but I say also that there is need today for each one of us to show that he too has the qualities of our founder, courage to face the difficulties and the sacrifices of war, determination to overcome every obstacle until victory is achieved, and vision to see that out of tribulation can come great happiness -- only we have the faith to work for it. In these days we are all builders of Empire, a united people inspired by the ideals of freedom and justice, to make the world a better place for others and ourselves.

"Some of you may say." Sir Shenton went on, "that these are mere words, that the war is far away, and that there can be no difficulties, no sacrifices, no tribulations that will affect you very much. You are wrong. War on such a scale as this affects every nation in the world and the people of Malaya will, I am sure, face cheerfully and resolutely whatever it may bring.

HELP READILY

"You may say that the help which you can give is so small as not to be worth considering. Again I say you are wrong. Make it your business to help others who are more badly hit than you are, undertake readily any duty that may be required of you, always remember how fortunate you are and that men in other parts of the world are giving all they have, even their lives, to keep you safe. And above all, do not listen to rumour.

"Two thousand years ago a poet wrote of horrid rumour, flying to and fro throughout the world, putting fear into men's lives. There is the same danger today. The rumour-monger is a profiteer in men's souls: his stock-in-trade is alarm and despondency, which he sells at the highest price of all, the price of happiness. As such he is a menace to the State and he cannot be tolerated.

"In less than a month since the outbreak of war," the Governor continued, German shipping has been swept from the seas and the submarine peril is under control. My wife and I came up here as comfortably and safely as in time of peace.

DEFENDERS OF ISLAND

"When Captain Light first landed here, he brought with him a tiny force of Bengal marines and a few lascars. They were the first defenders of Penang. They formed the guard at the hoisting of the Union Jack. It is not appropriate, then, that the defenders of Penang today should be men of the great Indian Empire and men of our own?

"What could be more fitting than that the guard of honour at this ceremony should be furnished by an Indian regiment and by local Volunteers? To defend the heritage which Light bequeathed, the men of India and the men of Penang stand side by side today, just as they stood by his grave more than 150 years ago, just as they will stand in the front line of battle if the need arises. We welcome Indian soldiers to Penang and we are proud to have them among us.

"And so", His Excellency concluded. "It is not only in gratitude to our founder for all that he has made possible for us, but also in the firm resolve to emulate his courage in time of stress, his determination to succeed, and his faith in the future, that I unveil this memorial to Captain Francis Light on behalf of the citizens of Penang."

Honours were presented by Sir Shenton at the conclusion of his speech as follows: the O.B.E to Capt. Mohamed Noor and Certificate of Honour to Dr Ong Huck Chye. Long service medals were presented to certain police constables, and St. John Ambulance, first aid awards to successful Volunteers.