Resurrecting Francis Light
Remember the September 9 blog entry on how the moneyman would "move the stars for you"? More debacle came unto the same newspaper on 9/11.
There is a follow-up advertisement inserted by CIMB Group on Page N13 of The Star.
SOURCE: The Star, September 11, 2006 Page N13
Now read again the intro:
In 1883, a navy captain fired gold coins into an island jungle to lure his men into clearing its mosquito-infested marshes.
Nobody understood why. Only Captain Francis Light saw Penang's future as the "Pearl of the Orient".
Under normal circumstances of a story-telling and the way it was alluded by the creative copywriter, the navy captain who fired goldcoins into the jungle island in 1883 must have been Captain Francis Light (1740-1794), the person who foresaw Penang as the "Pearl of Orient".
That's where the problem begins.
Reader KYO emailed me this:
Unless I am mistaken, the navy captain they were referring to in both paragraphs are the same person.
But Francis Light died in 1794, how could he fire gold coins in 1883?
Now, are we 'moving the stars' or moving a historical fact?
Please take it as a displeasure from a Penang guy. And there are many Penang guys at the highest floor of Menara Star, who have apparently "moved with The Star for you" from Penang, the place it was born.
SOURCE: The Star frontpage, September 8, 2006
In reality, that's how advertising department has factually blinded the editorial floor, enshrined as a legacy in Wong Sulong's era. (And I noticed Nazir has his hearty last laugh on The Star frontpage.)
Comments
The supreme irony of it all - Francis Light died of malaria on 21 October 1794. Obviously mosquitoes were not cleared.
Posted by: TheWrathOfGrapes![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 14, 2006 10:09 AM
Can we conclude that it took the then British government 89 years to realize that those blasted mozzies were the cause of Francis Light's death?
Posted by: JacknJill![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 14, 2006 10:55 AM
It's an ad. Creative licence and whatnot. However, on the subject of foresight the ad/product associates itself with, perthaps some hindsight could've been applied to fortify it's corporate identity. And what Francis Light really saw was something to be conquered for the empire.
"The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much ..." - Heart of Darkness
Posted by: mat![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 14, 2006 11:38 AM
Penang Free School also exist already in Penang since 1816...
Posted by: Ah Hong![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 14, 2006 01:47 PM
They employ people from top tiered universities around the world to resurrect the dead. How wonderful!
Posted by: Dangerous Variable![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 14, 2006 04:26 PM
May be because the 1883 is a very nice number..
Gee.. If that is the case, might well make it 1888, look much better. Also fit into the Kia Su mentality of some...
Posted by: Niuku![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 14, 2006 07:07 PM
To the Thais, "pearl of the orient" meant Phuket.Perhaps we should emmulate The British and get rid of mosquitoes in asimilar manner. As for Nazir, he should be laughing. Dr. M disposed of his competitors by forcing and threatening smaller banks to unfairly merge with their bigger counterparts.
Posted by: sydput![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 15, 2006 10:40 AM
One variation:
Francis Light so did die in 1794, of malaria. And he did see Penang's potential as the Pearl of the Orient.
The succeedig navy captain, who was very very close to Light wanted to revenge his death on the mosquitoes.
Hence he ordered the firing of gold coins.
Another variation
In the next print of history text books:
Abdullah Hisappudin was the one who single-handedly cleared the bush. Who in subsequent years constructed the cable track up the Penang hill etc.
There was no English captain or anything like that. It was all a local kampong man effort.
Abdullah Hisappudin also went to Kuala Lumpur in his mid 40s, developed the town in 3 months and then charged to JB to civilize the place.
Haha! Like it?
Posted by: Hisappudin![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 15, 2006 05:19 PM
Have some imaginassions folks!
Or else our children will feel indifferent towards history!
We need communal hero. Make Adullah Hisappudin one.
thanks and warmest regards.
Posted by: Hisappudin![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.my/nav-commenters.gif)
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September 15, 2006 05:24 PM