Ipoh Bus Tickets

This post is dedicated to Choong Tat for his memory of taking the Reliance Bus from Chemor to Ipoh. I have been also riding the Reliance Bus for years.

As kid, we have many kinds of collection, from post card, photograph, stamp, paper currency, coin, match box and to others.

It was said that your collection represent the pass, memory, some events, some persons and the history. So collection tells something about you, your pass, yours character. Ha! I am totally exposed to the net.

I don’t have specific collection. But the dump collection has given me great pleasure and I would like to share these hidden assets with you.

While doing sales at Ipoh in the ’70, my public means of transport between Ipoh and the out-shirts of town are buses and taxis.

I dug out some old bus tickets which are stored until today to recall our memories of taking the Reliance buses in Ipoh.

On board the bus, the bus conductor will collect the fare and issue the ticket for your keeping. If you lose the ticket, you may ask to buy a new ticket. I have experience of the lost that educated me to keep the ticket so tightly.

马来西亚的树胶业

我跟家中孩子们说，鲁乃树胶熏房博物馆开放时，我一定会带同他们去参观，了解马来西亚树胶的历史，实在的目的是要重温类似我童年的游戏场。

以前的马来西亚到处胶树成阴，弥望无际。树胶是马来亚的特产，也是主要的农产品。除了欧洲人, 英国人挟其雄厚资力的大胶园，大马华人也占有一席地位。当年马来西亚的树胶业， 执全球树胶业牛耳，胶价的贵贱，关系到马来西亚经济盛衰。

然而胶价之浮沉，皆操纵在外国人之手，80年代开始的马来西亚，经历新经济政策收购洋人园丘，至全球对棕油需求增加，园主改作种植油棕树， 树胶种植面积逐年减小。又在人造胶和塑料已能代替机械器材的竞争与打击下，树胶已非工业最重要必须之产品， 树胶的黄金时代，已难再见於今日。

槟城原有几家树胶厂（包括熏房）与树胶出口商，如南益树胶有限公司，大成胶厂，苏承球公司，四福，万兴利，福美，新同德，太丰栈等；其树胶厂业务全已停屯, 大部分厂房已被拆除， 可追查到的是现今GAT LEBUH NOORDIN （二条路尾的红灯角区）已改为GAMA SUPERMARKET的栈房，既是前南益树胶有限公司的熏房。

小时跟老妈回太平乡下娘家，时常与童年友好结伴到胶园与园丘工友游戏，由于贪玩, 常被工友骗去当义工, 今天才觉得是有幸， 所以对胶园生涯还记得起来。

由割胶说起: 割胶工人早晨到园丘割胶，到将胶乳收集回胶房已是半天了。中午过后，开始做胶片工作。胶乳渗水加醋酸（若化油名称不实，劳请更正），让胶水凝结成弹性胶团，再将胶团放入机器滚筒中辗转压榨使水份溢出，连续不断辗转至规定的厚度， 才一片片浸入水池中， 制胶片工作暂告一段落。

隔天将胶片由水池中捞起, 把胶片搬进熏房，高挂竹杆上, 用烟火熏蒸，间中要把胶片翻过面来， 以便平均熏烟, 致金黄色，即大功告成, 可以出售给树胶出口商了。

经熏烟过的胶片称为烟片，当年电台午间树胶行情报导的一号烟花价格多少，二号烟花价格多少 ， 就是以各等级烟片的货色与品质定价。

马来西亚能有今天的繁荣，当年拓荒者之苦干毅力，辟荒垦地，种植树胶园业与园丘工友之功， 呈不可灭。