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I got on a flight from London Stanstead to Kuala Lumpur International Airport recently, on my way to spending time in Sarawak, Malaysia and I came across what was a very interesting article about the first Prime Minister of Malaysia. The article focuses upon “Tunku” as he was titled in Malaysia, and his time spent in Cambridgeshire, England.

The article writer – Mansor Puteh – said when he interviewed the Prime Minister many years ago, his eyes would fill with tears on his recollection of the time spent at St Catherine’s College, Cambridge. Mansor Puteh is related to Tunku through is elder sister – Rokiah binti Puteh – being married to him, so he had much time to spend with the Prime Minster.

This particular article relates the experience of Mansor and his nephew traveling to England to follow in the footsteps of Tunku. They arrived at Stanstead Airport (the same airport I left from) and proceeded to Cambridge to begin the “journey”. Tunku spent his time at St Catherine’s College, Cambridge so Mansor visited one of his lodgings in Grange Road near to the college.

Apparently however, Tunku was not allowed to remain on campus at St Catherine’s College for a whole term because back in the year’19 when he was there, it was highly unusual for a Malayan to be a student of Cambridge because they “did not look like British students” so it was preferred they were to live off campus.

The Sultan of Kedah (Tunku’s father) invited the British advisor to Malaya (I think this would be similar or the same as an Ambassador) to communicate with the Dean of university that Tunku should have a place and of course the Dean – once he realized that Tunku was a prince, fully agreed. By this time though Tunku had become adapted to living life off-campus and so turned the offer down.

Tunku died at the age of 87 in’90. The author of the article – Mansor Puteh, is a reputed Malaysian film maker and writer. He is at the moment working on a film entitled Malaysian Snow which focuses on the lives of a few Malaysian students studying in the UK. You can read the full article written by Puteh in the “Travel 3 Sixty” brochure.

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