MARTS: YESTERYEAR
AND TOMORROW
As the nation
celebrates its 40th anniversary on 31st August, 1997, the MARTS
which is now 45
years old, based on the unofficial year of its establishment in the middle of
1952, for the society now has its own role to play in the next millennium
particularly with the formation of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) and the
Cyber city.
MARTS together
with amateurs clubs and associations worldwide join hands to
thrive and strive
for progress despite the presence of the fast expanding information
superhighway including sophisticated multimedia and the internet.
MARTS as an
established and responsible society with its facet of multiracial
memberships is
joining the bandwagon with others to salute the nation for this
auspicious occasion.
The society born
five years before the country was freed from the colonial yoke
was founded by
over zealous amateur enthusiasts among whom were VS2BS (Eu Khua Kew),VS2DB
(S.A. Faulkner) J.C. Pearhouse (VS2DG) and VS2 DV (Charles Sulton). They could
be described as midwives who were responsible for the birth of the society.
According to the
surviving founder member 9M2BS (EU), who is now in his late
seventies, that
sometimes in the middle of 1952 together with few British radio
enthusiasts who
were influenced by the RSGB activities, residing in Penang had an Eye-Ball QSO
at VS2DVs QTH to discuss on establishing radio amateur club in the island. The
club is to run on the same model of RSGB. The Radio Society of Great Britain
(RSGB) was founded in 1913 and incorporated in 1926.The decision was reached at
the Eye-Ball QSO that the radio amateur club was to be formed. The arrangement
was made to register the club as Malayan Amateur Radio Transmitters Society at
the Posts and Telegraph Department in the Straits
Settlement of
Penang Island. The call-sign given was VS2 to the qualified members.
The 9M2BS (EU)
was the only Asian who became the member of the society
which was
dominated by the Whites, many of them were officers serving under the British
Colonial Service. Also, many European managers from the rubber estates and tin
mines in Kedah, Perak and Northern Selangor joined the society.
Later, several
European business executives with technical background from
commercial sector
got involved in the hobby.
Earlier, a group
of keen amateurs also initiated the setting up of radio amateur
clubs in Selangor
and Perak respectively. Both clubs were established in early 1947. According to
a report by SA Faulkner 9M2DB (EX-VS2 DB) that the Selangor Radio Club was established
in 1947 due to the hard work and untiring efforts of Jim Macintosh (VS2AA), Law
Joo Ghin(VS2AO), N.L.Narayan(VS2CN) and two SWLs Au-Yong Siew Thong and Rodgers Rowe.
The Singapore
Amateur Radio Transmitters Society was founded in 1949. It
also followed the
RSGB module. Among those who attended the inaugural meeting were Ted Yates
(VS1AD), Reg Hollis -Bee (VS1AG), Mike deCruz (VS1DU), Ken de Souza (VS1CZ) and
John Osborne(VS1 BO).
Majority members
of radio clubs in Selangor and Perak were European
managers from
rubber estates and tin mines. Many of them on the termination of their
contracts with tin mines and estates returned home. This was one of the factors
that caused the membership of the clubs dwindled and its closure.
However, the
Singapore Amateur Radio Transmitters Society continued with the
Support from many of the British civil servants and
business community. Besides, Singapore during the post-war days was the hub of
financial and business activities for the British colony.
The 40-metre band
was the most popular and it was fully utilised by HAMS in
Singapore and
Peninsular. It was only after Malaya became independent on 31st August, 1957,
that the call-signs VS2 were changed to 9M2 till today.
According to a
research report in a book entitled "Broadcasting in the Malay
World' by Prof. Drew 0. Me Daniel of Ohio
University in the US, that radio broadcast in early colonial days of Malaya was
initiated by radio amateur stations. In fact, in early 1930's, amateur radio
club pioneered the experimental broadcast in the country.
Based on the
development of Broadcasting in Malaya, it was evidenced that
during the
experimental stage of radio broadcasting, the whole administrative system and
communication activities were placed under the authority of the colonial
Posts and Tetegraph Department.
The Kuala Lumpur
Amateur Wireless Society (KLARS) was formed in November
1929. The KLARS
for example was allowed to use the Posts and Telegraph transmitter located on
Petaling Hill. Among those responsible for the KLARS were W.J.A. Mallon of
Cumberbatch & Company, A.N. Farqhson of Hallam& Company and Dr Byrqn of
the Institute Medical Research and James Macintosh (VS2AA).
However, no
report was recorded of any experimental broadcast by radio
amateur stations
in the British North Borneo states in the pre-war days. For Sabah was placed
under the rule of North Borneo Company and Sarawak headed by the "White
Raja", Vyner Brooke.
The KLARS station
only broadcast local and social news besides the music for
European
community in Kuala Lumpur. Apart from the KLARS, The Penang Amateur Wireless
Society was also set up in 1932 to provide news and music to the British
community in Penang. The Penang Amateur Wireless Station operated with the
station call-sign ZHJ.
The formal and
professional broadcasting in the British colony of Malaya
only began in
March 1937, after the British government set up the British Malaya
Broadcasting
Corporation (BMBC) with its station at Caldecott Hill in Singapore which later
became the forerunner of Radio Malaya. The BMBC emulated the BBC system in its
medium wave broadcast.
The BMBC also
employed several BBC technical and engineering staff to run the
Station. The BMBC
was part of radio network of the British Empire.
With the
formation and the impact of BMBC, the KLARS and Penang Wireless
Station ceased
their operations.
Following the
fall of Singapore and the Japanese occupation in early December
1941, the BMBC
ceased its operation, but it resumed after the return of the British
Military Administration
(BMA) command in Aug. 1945. While in Penang, after the return of BMA and later
during the British Civilian Government, a handful of British colonial civil
servants, few of them were telecom engineers together with other radio amateur
enthusiasts decided to look into the defunct Penang Wireless Club which ceased
its broadcast following the presence of BMBC.
Also with the
ready availability of Second World War surplus of the communication facilities,
that led a group of radio enthusiasts to meet at VS2DV's house. The outcome of
the Eye-ball QSO resulted in the formation of the Malayan Radio Transmitters
Society in 1952 Veteran and established
HAM OM 9M2FK
(Eshee) ex-VS2 who was licensed in 1956 reminisced that MARTS in its early
embryonic stage was dominated and controlled by European members. Among the
notable veteran HAMS who joined the society during the colonial days were VS2DW
now 9M2DW (Datuk Tan) and the late OMVS2AZ (Harbak Singh-9M2AZ). Datuk Tan
(9M2DW), the Grand Old Man, now in
his late
eighties, is still enjoying his electronic hobby despite the advanced age and
poor health. It was a rare sight to see Asian HAMS at the MARTS meetings during
the colonial days. in spite of this, there was no colour bar practised by the
"White Sahibs" of the MARTS. Such was the fraternity and the spirit
that have been inherited till today by the HAMS. For the legacy of HAMS's
universal spirit and brotherhood transcends the tx)rder, race, colour and
creed.
OM 9M2GJ (ex-VS2)
Lockman Radin Salleh, was one of the first HAMS to have
obtained the
call-sign 9M2 in early 1959 said in those days Sungai Road in Singapore
junkshops were regularly frequented by HAMS to salvage the components and parts
for the transceiver. Often old wireless sets of the Second World War spoils
were cannibalised.
Another ex-VS
OM9M2 EF (Serin Singh), who was licensed in 1953, said many
of the HAMS
operators possessed the 2nd WW military surplus rigs such as American made
BC-60 (Helicrafter) and HRO receiver besides the British made Eddystones. The
rigs were modified to suit for the amateur use. All worked well with suitable
antennas.
Eshee said, many
of the rigs were home brewed and salvaged from the second
world war
military surplus. In fact, the D.I.Y. was put in real total practice by the
innovative and
technical minded members.
In some cases,
the hefty odd bits and kinks embedded in the soiled junkyards
were sought and
dug up by the amateurs in the early days solely for the interest of the Hobby
OM 9M2FK (Eshee) fully endorsed 9M2BS's statement that the actual birth place
of the MARTS is in Penang. For this, Penang must be recognised and endorsedRTS..MARTS.
The chronology of
Amateur Radio in Malaysia/Singapore as an scientific hobby.
1947: Selangor
and Perak organised their respective radio amateur clubs. On
the initiative of
British planters of the British owned estates and the tin minesmanagers/mining
engineers. The clubs served as a means of easy communication among ftiemselves.
Both clubs and their activities were short-lived due the transfers and
termination of work contracts.
1949: The
Singapore Amateur Radio Transmitter Society was founded by British
civil servants
(engineers/radio enthusiasts and business community. It followed the RSGB Module 1952: The Malayan Amateur
Radio Transmitters Society (MARTS) was founded in the Straits Settlement of
Penang headed by a handful of the British senior officials/business community
and radio enthusiasts.
The MARTS was
registered at the Post and Telecoms Department five years
before the country
became independent.
1957: The
call-signs VS2 changed to 9M2 after the independent.
It was only after
Merdeka in 1957, many Malaysians joined the society. The society launched with
a humble beginning with less than ten members many went on silent key had now
matured and increased its membership to more than 400 members including SWLs.
However, the membership is still small over the spread of 45 years compared
currently to the country with more than 20 millions population. As the country
steps into the 21st century era, hopefully the MARTS with its future mission
and vision will be able to progress positively in this shrinking wired global
village in the interest of the hobby.
However, for this
the task ahead is entrusted to all members besides the
responsibility
rests on our very shoulders.
For success or
failure are with us. - By 9M2 JX (Jamal)