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(Final)
Writer: Calvin Chiew
Assistant Writers: Jonathan Sng, Ng Ding Xuan
History Content Research: Leonard Chen, Lin Min
For: GEP History Drama Competition 2002
Scene 1
[Lightings: Dim Light]
[Backdrop: Opening introduction, followed by actual pictures of the procession, then fade]
[Music: “Flight”, and stop when intro movie ends]
[DIRECTOR is downstage, not known to audience at this point]
NARRATOR
The day is 21st July 1964. Over 25000 Malays gathered at the Padang to celebrate Prophet Mohammed’s birthday. The procession slowly made its way to Geylang.
[Enter MALAY ACTORS walking in procession, holding banners, shouting, clapping. POLICEMEN folding their arms, simply walking and standing around to maintain order]
NARRATOR
It was a joyous celebration. Little did anyone expect that pandemonium was just about to break out.
[Backdrop: screen a picture of shophouses, the location where the clash broke out]
[Enter CHINESE ACTORS as passer-bys, MALAY ACTORS go into slow mime]
CHINESE ACTOR 1
[referring to procession] Look at them, making so much noise and dirtying the entire place! This whole area stinks so badly!
[CHINESE ACTOR 2 shows signs of agreement and throws a bottle into the crowd, causing a few Malays to straggle out of the procession]
Hey why all of you come out of line?!
ARIF
We didn’t do it on purpose.
MALAY RIOTER 1
Yeah, a bottle was thrown at us!
POLICEMAN 2
[seeing trouble, joins POLICEMAN 1] Get back into the crowd now.
MALAY RIOTER 2
Hey it was not our fault!
POLICEMAN
You dare defy the police? You looking for a fight? [raises rod]
SALEHIN
[rubbing fist] You should go and find who threw the bottle at us! [the group of MALAY ACTORS rub fist or go into battle stance, all MALAY ACTORS and POLICEMEN freeze]
CHINESE ACTOR 2
Oi look! The Malays are fighting the policeman!
CHINESE ACTOR 1
Lai pah ah!
[MALAY ACTORS and POLICEMEN defreeze, CHINESE RIOTERS run out from stage right and left]
[Music: “The Unforgiven”]
[Choreographed chaos]
[Music: fade]
NARRATOR
As you can see, the Malays were the entire source of trouble in the 1964 Race Riots. They were the ones who started the fight. They were the ones who caused 23 people to lose their lives and 454 people to be injured. They were racially prejudiced and despised the Chinese. They should be persecuted for …
Scene
2
ARIF
Stop!
[Lightings: Bright Light]
[Backdrop: Snap out]
[actors break out of character]
ARIF
Stop this rehearsal at once!
[Director stands up and moves upstage]
DIRECTOR
What’s the problem with you?!
[MALAY ACTORS and CHINESE ACTORS with no lines sit down]
SALEHIN
This…this is not historically accurate! How can you say that the Malays were the only cause of the racial riots?
DIRECTOR
Why not? I am the director! I can say whatever I want!
ARIF
But how can you twist History to your own perception?
DIRECTOR
Shut up! You are just an actor and you must listen to me. I’m boss here.
SALEHIN
This is historically inaccurate! The judges will mark us down for that! I am sure the Malay audience will not be pleased either. Please change the script!
DIRECTOR
The History Drama Competition is just a week from now. You just do as I tell you to and keep your own opinions to yourself!
ARIF
You are insensitive, authoritative and prejudiced! I do not want to act in this play anymore! I quit!
SALEHIN
Yeah, me too! We are out of this!
DIRECTOR
Fine! Anyway, you Muslims are responsible for the collapse of the World Trade Centre in US and for the bombs planted at the MRT station in Singapore! Go and do whatever you want!
ARIF
[very angry] How can you…..!!?? [speechless, heavy breathing, points]
We’re changing to leave now. We all tak boleh tahan already! [stomps off]
[Other MALAY ACTORS can show agreement, stand up and start to leave]
DIRECTOR
How can you all be so irresponsible and unprofessional?! Where do you expect me to find replacements at this time? The competition is just a week from now!
SALEHIN
That’s your own problem!
[exit]
[DIRECTOR frustrated and exits]
[CHINESE ACTORS stand up, look confused, don’t know what to do, finally also exit]
Scene
3
[Lightings: Bright Light]
DIRECTOR
[to CHINESE ACTORS on one side] I don’t understand those Malay actors, why can’t they just follow the script?
CHINESE ACTOR 3
Maybe it’s because they are tired. We’ve been holding intensive rehearsals for many days already.
[freeze]
ARIF
[to SALEHIN and MALAY ACTORS on the other side] I don’t know what’s wrong with those Chinese, why can’t they just change the script?
SALEHIN
Maybe they just want to go home as we’ve been rehearsing the whole day already.
[freeze]
DIRECTOR
[defreeze]
Sian lah! Those Malays have poor working ethics! They are lazy, and when work
is too hard, they simply quit! [DIRECTOR can lift a newspaper up as evidence] Even Dr.
Mahathir says that the Malays don’t study hard but just want to get money
quickly.
[freeze]
ARIF
Scene 4
[Props: Get the table, laptop and books onstage during the blackout in transition]
[Lightings: Bright Light]
[Backdrop: Night scene of The Chinese High School]
[Music: “Star Tower”]
[DIRECTOR is taking a walk around the school at night]
DIRECTOR
[walks and ponders] Ah, what am I to do now? I am so sick of this entire History Drama play! The Malay actors are all slackers!
[eerie music plays, chill wind sound effects]
DIRECTOR
[crouching body] Why is it so cold suddenly?
[notices two white figures coming towards him] Oh my goodness! Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh! [crouches]
[Two ghosts enter from opposite directions and trap the DIRECTOR. They circle the DIRECTOR and talk as they walk. Closer, and closer, till they are almost touching.]
GHOSTS
Don’t worry…we won’t hurt you.
We’re just here to enlighten you.
DIRECTOR
[shivering] Who…….who are you?
CHINESE GHOST
Whoooooooooooooooooo? We are wandering spirits of last generation.
DIRECTOR
[trembles] You…you both are….. ghosts?
MALAY GHOST
Aaah, not to worry. We just want to chit-chat with you.
[stops circling and moves downstage]
CHINESE GHOST
Dear friend?
MALAY GHOST
Yes?
CHINESE GHOST
Look around here. No blood reaches here pass the
wall of time. No shouts, no screams, no hatred, no riots. It is so wonderfully
peaceful.
MALAY GHOST
Strange friend, here is no cause
to mourn. I am the enemy you killed, my friend. I
knew you in this dark: for so you frowned. Yesterday
through me you jabbed and killed. I parried; but my hands were loath and cold.
[Both ghosts turn 45 degrees to
face the cyclorama, back facing audience as everyone is traumatized by pictures
on screen]
[Backdrop:
the quote from Wilfred Owen’s “Strange Meeting”, followed by gory pictures of
the racial riots, then fade]
[Music: “Dead Sea Ruined
Tower”]
CHINESE GHOST
I…I was instigated by my Chinese friends. You must believe me, I was really in a dilemma. It was just that …the relationship between the Chinese and Malays turned sour so suddenly and quickly because of all the media and news. Before I knew it, I was already roped in.
MALAY GHOST
Thinking back now, I can’t believe that you, once my good friend, was the one that brought me to my doom. But then things were bad and we were gullible too. [Backdrop: flash picture of the Utusan Melayu and headlines] The Malays got influenced too by propaganda in the Malay press, especially the Utusan Melayu. [Backdrop: fade]
CHINESE GHOST
We went to the procession for a reason. To mess up the celebration! To revenge! To revenge for our Chinese buddies who were hurt in earlier minor clashes before the procession. But you’ve got your revenge back on me, dear friend. I died in the riot as well.
CHINESE GHOST
We were simply innocent puppets in a confused new nation.
MALAY GHOST
Yes, I agree. But we’ve forgotten about our little friend here and have digressed too far. Let’s not continue raking up the past.
[to DIRECTOR] Recently, 21st July, was Racial Harmony Day. What did you do on that day?
DIRECTOR
[visibly calm] Well, just the usual activities and talks.
MALAY GHOST
What did you learnt? Do you know why you celebrate Racial Harmony Day in School?
DIRECTOR
I….[looks down, dumbstruck]
CHINESE GHOST
It seems that year after year, Racial Harmony Day has become just another day.
MALAY GHOST
Racial
Harmony Day has its importance. The
issue of Singapore’s harmony has always been pertinent.
CHINESE GHOST
[to
DIRECTOR] It is shocking to note that Singaporeans still have stereotypes of people of other races. You, for one, are a
very good example. You must not condemn all the Malays here just for the undesirable
acts of some Islamic extremists.
MALAY GHOST
Stereotyping does not bring us any good. It only harms our friendship.
CHINESE GHOST
We are
all living on this tiny island working for our survival. We may differ in race,
but definitely not in nationality. We can overcome differences by understanding each other’s culture and
religious beliefs.
MALAY GHOST
We are all one and the same. All humans beings,
all sharing the same homeland of Singapore and all wanting a peaceful place to
live in.
CHINESE GHOST
[to MALAY GHOST] We are all one and the same. I only found that out
on this ‘other side’. I wish I got to know more about the Malays before it was
too late. Abang, I wish I’ve known you before.
[exit]
[After the revelation, the DIRECTOR is visibly
disturbed and emotional. He sits down at the table and beings researching
through the books. Then he smiles mysteriously and opens up laptop. Impact as
he punches the delete key.]
[Backdrop: screen the script of Scene 1, and slowly the words of the NARRATOR gets eaten up by the delete key]
[exeunt]
Scene
5
[Props: Get the table, laptop and books offstage during the blackout in transition]
[Lightings: Bright Light]
DIRECTOR
[to CHINESE ACTORS] I’ve decided to change the script.
CHINESE RIOTER 3
What? Why change for the Malays? They are not even here.
CHINESE RIOTER 4
Ya! Don’t want lah! We have no time to change the script. Just get replacements.
DIRECTOR
Don’t worry, the new script is not entirely different. It is still about the 1964 Race Riots, but with a new perspective.
[On the other side of the stage, ARIF and SALEHIN are going back to the rehearsal venue to talk to the DIRECTOR. Other MALAY ACTORS follow]
MALAY RIOTER 4
[to ARIF and SALEHIN] Eh, both of you really want to go back to rehearse?
ARIF
We want to discuss with the director about what happened, and hopefully persuade him to change the script.
SALEHIN
It will be irresponsible of us to leave just like that.
[DIRECTOR meets ARIF and SALEHIN, and three of them look at each other uncomfortably, embarrassed and want to speak up but waiting for each other to make the first move]
DIRECTOR, ARIF, SALEHIN
(blurt out together) I’m sorry!
[Music: “Robo’s Theme”, volume loud]
[pause]
[Music: “Robo’s Theme”, volume soft]
DIRECTOR
I…I’m sorry for my actions last night.
ARIF
We are sorry about what happened last night too.
[Music: fade]
SALEHIN
I think you’ve misunderstood what happened then.
DIRECTOR
Yes, I think you’re right. There were so many other reasons that caused the Race Riots and led to the Separation. It was not entirely the Malays’ fault. The Chinese play a part as well.
CHINESE ACTOR 1
That’s right. To begin with, the Chinese and Malays can be good friends. Many Chinese could speak Malay, some could even speak Malay better than Chinese!
ARIF
Yep. The Riots happened because of many political reasons fuelled with propaganda.
MALAY FRIEND 3 (KAIWEN)
Singapore and Malaya were different to begin with.
MALAY RIOTER 4 (TANG)
After the merger, the two governments cannot even agree on the way the country should be run.
SALEHIN
We were in the face of inherent differences and others who can’t wait to see us fall.
CHINESE ACTOR 2 (DINGXUAN)
Agreements set down during the Merger were not met. For example there were delays in setting up the Common Market, and taxes imposed on Singapore kept on increasing. There were also attempts to increase Singapore’s contribution to the Central Government.
CHINESE ACTOR 3 (BALDWIN)
There were also political frictions caused during the elections and external threats such as the Indonesian Confrontation. Indeed all these other factors contributed to the build up of the tension that finally led to the Separation.
DIRECTOR
Whatever it is, it was most unfortunate that lives were lost during the procession. But right now, today, if we don’t stay together, then what will be left of us? If we cannot even live together, then what more about work? [pause] I’ve changed the script. Let’s start again. This time we do it right.
Scene
6
[Lightings: Dim
Light]
[Set before the procession]
[CHINESE ACTOR 1 now takes up the role of AH HUAT and ARIF now takes up the role of RAHMAN.]
[AH HUAT and RAHMAN meet]
AH HUAT
Hi Rahman!
RAHMAN
Hello Ah Huat!
AH HUAT
Eh Rahman, I hear that the Malays will be having a procession next month. Will you be involved?
RAHMAN
Yah. We’re celebrating Prophet Mohammed’s birthday.
AH HUAT
I’ll be there to watch the procession.
RAHMAN
Thanks for the support. I’ve to get going, see you soon!
AH HUAT
Bye!
[RAHMAN and AH HUAT walk away in opposite direction]
[MALAY FRIENDS enter from stage right to meet RAHMAN. CHINESE FRIEND enter from stage left to meet AH HUAT]
[Lights: focus on stage right]
MALAY FRIEND 1
Eh Rahman, you still on good terms with your Chinese friend?
RAHMAN
You mean Ah Huat?
MALAY FRIEND 1
Ya! How can you be friends with a Chinese? How can?
MALAY FRIEND 2
I tell you lah, Chinese are all good-for-nothings. Because of them, many of our abangs were injured last week.
RAHMAN
But we should all try to live together what.
MALAY FRIEND 3
Don’t be naïve lah! The Chinese are an unreasonable bunch. Did you read the Utusan Melayu and see how the PAP government has been oppressing the Malays and treating us as second-class citizens? They are ill-treating us!
RAHMAN
But I thought the PAP government recently pledged to help at the meeting at Victoria?
MALAY FRIEND 4
Don’t believe them! They are not concerned about the interest of us at all! Rahman, you are one of us! You need to stand on our side! If you continue to be friends with Ah Huat, then… you’re not one of us anymore!
RAHMAN
[look swayed] I….
[Lights: focus on stage left]
CHINESE FRIEND 1
Hey Ah Huat, you are good friends with that Rahman right?
AH HUAT
Ya…
CHINESE FRIEND 2
Ah Huat, I tell you, those Malays enjoy a lot of special rights from the Central Government which we are deprived of. Besides, they are also cruel and merciless. Do you know what they did?!! They killed Ah Kheong in the previous riot clash!
AH HUAT
What?!! Oh my goodness! How can they do this!!??
CHINESE FRIEND 3
We have a favour to ask of you…
AH HUAT
What is it?
CHINESE FRIEND 3
Come with us to their procession next month. We’ll go and sabo it! Want or not?
CHINESE FRIEND 1
Remember Ah Huat, you are a Chinese! Si ka ki lang ah!
AH HUAT
[look swayed] I….
[Exeunt]
Scene 7
[Lightings: Dim Light]
[RAHMAN and AH HUAT walks around and looks noticeably troubled and frustrated. They meet each other in surprise]
RAHMAN
[uncomfortably] Hi, Ah Huat.
AH HUAT
[undecidedly] Hi
[Music: “Ending Theme”, volume loud]
[embarrassing long pause]
[Music: “Ending Theme”, volume soft]
AH HUAT
Rahman, you’ve got to be careful these days. Take good care of yourself.
RAHMAN
I….(looks down)
I’ve got to make a move.
AH HUAT
Yea, I’ve got to go as well.
[Move away in opposite direction]
[Music: fade]
Scene 8
[Lightings: Dim Light]
[Repeat Scene 1]
[Backdrop: screen a picture of shophouses, the location where the clash broke out]
NARRATOR
A month later, 21st July 1964. Ah Huat and Rahman have succumbed to peer pressure and their friendship has turned into hatred. The procession celebrating Prophet Mohammed’s birthday slowly made its way to Geylang.
[Enter MALAY ACTORS including RAHMAN walking in procession, holding banners, shouting, clapping. POLICEMEN folding their arms, simply walking and standing around to maintain order]
NARRATOR
It was a joyous celebration but pandemonium was about to break out.
[Enter CHINESE ACTORS, MALAY ACTORS go into slow mime]
CHINESE FRIEND 1
Get ready! We’ll strike when the chance comes.
[AH HUAT nods his head. CHINESE FRIEND 2 throws a bottle into the crowd, causing a few Malays to straggle out of the procession]
POLICEMAN 1
Hey why all of you come out of the line?! Get back into the crowd now!
MALAY RIOTER 1
But a bottle was thrown at us! You should go and find out who threw the bottle at us!
POLICEMAN 2
[seeing trouble, joins POLICEMAN 1] You dare defy the police? You looking for a fight? [Both POLICEMEN raise rods, all MALAY ACTORS and POLICEMEN freeze]
CHINESE FRIEND 2
Let’s go!
AH HUAT
Lai pah ah!
[MALAY ACTORS and POLICEMEN defreeze, CHINESE RIOTERS run out from stage right and left]
[In the choreographed chaos, AH HUAT takes on RAHMAN at centrestage. All other rioters except for Ding Xuan and Kaiwen will fall after 5 seconds at the back of the stage, leaving Gareth and Kevin two last men standing. It is quiet and their lines can be heard.]
RAHMAN
Ah Huat, it’s me! Rahman!
AH HUAT
I only want revenge! [punch]
RAHMAN
[picks himself up] Fine! [counter-attack]
[AH HUAT smashes a glass bottle onto RAHMAN’s head.]
[Bottle crash sound effect]
[RAHMAN falls to the ground]
[Music: “Pathetic Grief”]
[wait till music ends, its about 10 seconds]
RAHMAN
[in pain] Aaahhh..help…help…
[AH HUAT is shocked at what he had done.]
CHINESE FRIEND 1 (DINGXUAN)
You Malay! You’re dead!
[CHINESE FRIEND 1 comes around and delivers another blow to RAHMAN to kill him.]
[Lights flicker to signify RAHMAN’s death.]
[Music: “People Imprisoned by Destiny”]
[AH HUAT kneels down beside the corpse.]
AH HUAT
[look up into heaven] Nooooooooooooo!!!!! What have I done???!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[MALAY FRIEND 3 sees RAHMAN lying dead on the ground and kills AH HUAT. AH HUAT falls to the ground, beside RAHMAN.]
[Music: “People Imprisoned by Destiny” swells up]
[Lights: slowly dims to darkness]
Scene 9
[Lights: Bright lights]
DIRECTOR
[From audience floor, stands up] Okay, cut!
[ACTORS break out of character, just stand behind the key actors with speaking lines and don’t move about]
DIRECTOR
[Moves upstage] Hey that was a pretty good rehearsal.
ARIF
Its only 8 pm. Let’s rehearse again.
DIRECTOR
[Smiles cunningly] Erm…I think it would be best if we go home now. I think we need a rest.
CHINESE ACTOR 1
Hey, that’s so unusual of you.
ARIF
Oh yes, you haven’t told us where you got the inspiration for this script yet.
DIRECTOR
We’ll walk and talk.
[Actors standing behind quickly move backstage]
[DIRECTOR put arms around ARIF and CHINESE ACTOR 1. They walk and bit, then stop, face the audience]
DIRECTOR
Say, haven’t you heard that our school is haunted?
[Exeunt]
[Lights: Off]
[Backdrop: Start credit roll]
[Music: “Gathering Stars In The Night Sky”]
[Lights: While the credit roll is going on, dim lights]
[While credit roll is going on, all actors and crew on stage for curtain call/bow]
[Music: fade]
--End of play--